Alcohol Control Advocacy in the Public Health Interest

Dr Evelyn Gillan

Chief Executive

Alcohol Focus Scotland

Competing Frames in Alcohol Policy

Alcohol is normal. Problems arise when individuals misuse it. Solution - change the behaviour of the minority through education. [industry frame]

Problem is not with the individual but with the product. Solution - make the environment less pro-alcohol and reduce per capita consumption. [public health frame]

Reframing the Alcohol Problem

Re-frame the problem away from ‘problem’ drinkers and policies with the weakest evidence base towards a whole population approach.

Building support for the public health frame is important for alcohol control advocacy efforts.

Methods – promote the science; media and political advocacy; build civil society support.

Alcohol Etc. (Scotland) Bill (1)

Introduce minimum unit pricing Ban on quantity discounts in off sales Restrictions on location of drinks promotions

in off sales Provision regarding sale of alcohol to under

21s Introduce social responsibility levy on licence

holders.

Alcohol Etc. (Scotland) Bill (2)

10. The objective of minimum pricing is to protect and improve public health by reducing alcohol consumption.

26. The objective of restrictions on drinks promotions is to protect and improve public health by reducing alcohol consumption. The objective of conditions on the location of drinks promotions is to help emphasize that alcohol is not an ordinary commodity and to contribute to efforts to change Scotland’s alcohol culture. Policy Memorandum Alcohol Etc. (Scotland) Bill

Corporate Policy Capture

[Global alcohol producers and retailers] seek to dominate the information environment in order to affect decision-making through science capture; civil society capture; media capture and ultimately policy capture .[Miller and

Harkins 2010]

Opposition to Alcohol Bill

SAB Miller and ASDA publish industry-funded research (science capture); engage public affairs consultancies (media and civil society capture) and undertake intensive lobbying of politicians (policy capture).

Opposition politicians say minimum pricing is illegal; will cost jobs; penalise moderate drinkers; impact on poorer households and put money into the pockets of retailers.

Advocacy Gains

Acceptance that alcohol misuse is no longer a marginal issue and requires population measures – problem was re-framed.

Cross party recognition of the link between alcohol consumption, price and harm and some alcohol control measures introduced – policy solution partially accepted.

Advocacy Losses

Minimum unit pricing removed from the Bill.

Failure to successfully challenge some of the opposition’s arguments – that the money raised would go to supermarkets and not the public purse and minimum pricing represented a tax on the poor.

US and EU Joint Advocacy

Identify key messages to explain public health case for alcohol control measures.

Identify joint advocacy action i.e. alcohol marketing.

Share information about industry ‘spoiling’ tactics and expose industry influence on public health policy.