Alliance building for alcohol policy change

Savera Kalideen, Soul City

Overview of Presentation

• What is Soul City• Phuza Wize Campaign• Establishing partnerships• Research• Dissemination of research

What is Soul City?

Phuza Wize (violence reduction campaign – 2010)

Objectives

• Reducemale-on-maleviolence

• Targetedalcoholsafetybecauseofstronglinkbetweenalcoholconsumptionandviolence

• Changesocialnorm- alcoholconsumption

• Legislativechange:marketing,taxation,pricingdrinkingspaces,hoursofsale,proximitytoschools,

• Individualchange:knowledgeandskills

• Communitymobilisation:understandthelaw&theirrights;engagewithtraders,police,liquorboards&eachothertochangethewayalcoholisconsumed

Components of the Phuza Wize Campaign

• Research• Media• Social Mobilisation• Alliance Building • Advocacy

Learning Communities

Impact of Soul City’s Phuza Wize Campaign

• Although there has not been a rigorous and comprehensive impact evaluation, there is evidence that the campaign:

• Impacted on government policy including conference resolutions at the Anti Substance Abuse Summit (2011)

• More than 15 campaign proposals included in the National Norms and Standards for Alcohol Outlets (2015)

• Gauteng DSD currently using the Phuza Wize model of social mobilisation in partnership with Soul City

• Alcohol is now viewed as a structural driver for HIV at SANAC. Soul City decided to refocus attention on the link between HIV and alcohol- AIDS conference 2013 – organised a satellite session- SANAC chaired – led to us being asked to present to SANAC provincial and national partners – Medical Research Council worked with us

.

Alliance Building

• Phuza Wize partners (South Africa)• Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance• Global Alcohol Policy Alliance • Regional alliances – industry targeting African region – relatively

low alcohol consumption – youth bulge – potential for huge consumer base – now and in future

• Linking policy and campaigns at local, regional and global level

Steps in establishing partnerships • Identifying stakeholders – had to agree not to work with the

alcohol industry

• Building trust – new relationships but also competing for resources and to maintain individual organisational identify

• Developing a common campaign platform or objectives –restricted to areas of agreement – public health – not moral or religious – not judgemental- not prohibitionist – linked to issues such as violence reduction, keeping children safe from harm, reducing cancer, strokes, other illnesses

• Focus on issues that cause the greatest harm – not underage drinking; drinking and driving or Foetal AIcohol Syndrome

• Dichotomy between researcher and advocate

Advantages Disadvantages • Many voices-common

agenda• Taken more seriously• Share information and

resources• Different strengths • Grow collective expertise• Extends reach

geographically and strategically

• Support each other’s work

• Share credit

• Time consuming• Costly• Benefits not immediately visible• Long term investment• Overcome scepticism - field for

a long time• Resources (venue, travel,

accommodation, staff)• Policy change - minimum of 4

years

Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance

• 7 countries in the region – dialogue with each other – common challenges linked to alcohol and health

• Information sharing – web and email • Training, skills and strategy sharing• Advocacy Manual development • Joint focus on alcohol marketing and availability of alcohol• Common Industry strategies • Linking to other issues such as HIV and GBV• Raise issues and present • Funded network - 2012

Global Alcohol Policy Alliance

• Link globally but also link global to local • Uniformity of focus• Industry practices are common• Impact of global trade agreements • Common voice and agenda for global policy making

Research

• Violence • Alcohol consumption and violence• Legislative Framework governing alcohol • Cost of alcohol-related harm• Alcohol Marketing in South Africa • Minimum Legal Drinking Age• Alcohol and HIV• Alcohol and Gender• Health Promotion Foundation

Economic-related research

• Cost of alcohol harm• Amount spent on advertising and marketing• Amount spent on addressing harm• Understanding South African and African issues around

poverty, unemployment and under-development • Levy on sale of alcohol – producers pay for harm (via

treasury)

Annual Adspend

§SAB Miller R 364M (6th)§Brandhouse (R337M (7th) §Distell R305.2M (9th )§National Government R249.7 (13th )

Festive Focus Adspend

§SAB Miller R181.9M§Brandhouse R139.6M§Distell R100.6M

Combined Festive FocusTotal: R422.1M(Excl supermarkets and independent producers)

Advertising spend by the alcohol industry 2009

AIS/Adex The Nielsen Company

Learning from Research

• Consumption patterns – different age groups –men vs women – racial equality – religious equality - hazardous way of drinking – easier for both government and public to buy into the campaign and the rationale for population-wide recommendations – Global Strategy on Alcohol –taxation, ban on marketing, hours of sale, reduction in the number of outlets

• Understanding the legislation – many pieces of legislation – some very old – – 1989 / 2003/ no recent amendments and lack of synergy the three levels of govt – national, municipal & provincial - 14 different government

• interests of traders vs communities – jobs vs harm from alcohol – extent of alcohol marketing – benefits to advertising industry, to telecommunications industry and to media

• Link to HIV risk not just in South Africa but the region

• Link to gender-based violence and more specifically to violence against young women

Dissemination of research: government

• Panel discussions – experts to present, journalists to chair, government to participate

• Formats: booklets, newspaper supplements, infographics, social media, government conferences and workshops, inter-ministerial committee on substance abuse

• Submissions on draft legislation

Challenges: policy making• Lengthyprocess– 4– 5yearswasourestimate– currently

onyear6• Allgovernmentdepartmentsarenotequal– someare

naturalallieswhileothersarenaturaladversaries• Havetobuildindividualrelationshipswitheach

department– hasbeendifficulttomanage• FocusedonDOH,DSD,DTI,DBE,Treasury&some

interactionwithDHE&others• Otherpoliticalprocessesimpactonalcoholpolicy

development– iftheyarestrugglingelsewheretheydonotwanttocausemorepublicdebatebyreleasingpolicydraftsonalcohol

• Politicalcontestation

Dissemination of research : media

• Multi-media format • Print – articles, editorials , fact sheets,

topic-related booklets for journalists, quotes, provide contacts

• Electronic - radio and TV – interviews and panel discussions

• Frame the issue outside of health journalists – finance, policy, features, personal stories, facts

• Community radio training and support –content, topic experts and financial

PR Coverage

Challenges : media advocacy

• Build relationship with journalists & build trust as a neutral or valid public health voice

• Present information that is uncomfortable for some in the media and some in the public to hear/be exposed to – alcohol causes health and social harm – contradicts people’s views of themselves

• Having to be available at inconvenient times• Not having enough alcohol advocates willing or able to speak out

on this issue• Not having enough research or community-based alcohol

advocates to speak out on this issue

• Provide resources once-off or for one year at a time which are not compatible with the requirements of advocacy for policy change

• Might not be aware of the power and influence of the alcohol industry and therefore do not understand what kind of support needs to be provided to organisations doing this work

• Request evaluations after 2 or 3 years – not compatible with the time required for policy change

• Number of interviews carried out does not correspond with impact on policymakers.

• Provide resources that are single-issue focused whereas advocacy must respond to new angles regularly

Challenges: Donors

Thank you

savera@soulcity.org.za