International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD)

As part of our continued work to raise awareness around Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) during FASD Awareness Month this September, we are spotlighting initiatives across the globe.   📌 In France, Prévention & Modération and UMIH have both worked on awareness efforts and support the annual SAFTHON campaign – organized by SAFFrance. Their members from the beer, wine and spirits sectors amplified the “Zero alcohol during pregnancy” message. 🏠  In Poland, Kompania Piwowarska S.A., an Asahi Group Holdings company, has for a decade reminded people that alcohol is not for everyone and that pregnancy is one of the times when it should never be consumed. In partnership with the Dom w Łodzi Foundation, its “FASOFF” campaign used impactful messaging to underline that pregnancy is a collective responsibility. 👩⚕️ In Australia, the DrinkWise FASD Awareness Program worked with health experts to share the importance of not drinking during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding.   As FASD Awareness Month comes to an end, we encourage continued efforts to support families and communities in making informed choices. To learn more and for practical resources, see Proof Alliance’s website: https://lnkd.in/gNRwSE4w

Yesterday Member States at the United Nations #HLM4 on #NCDs reaffirmed their commitment to tackling the harmful use of alcohol and delivering the global strategy and action plan to reduce harmful use.    Read the statement from IARD President & CEO Julian Braithwaite below.   Also, see full comment: https://lnkd.in/ebC9UcRi

There has been global coverage of a recent study published in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine looking at the association between alcohol consumption and dementia risk. We encourage continued research in this area. However, a few key considerations are worth highlighting in this particular case:  📊 This study’s first analysis using traditional epidemiological methods found that light drinkers had a 41% lower risk of dementia compared with non-drinkers or heavy drinkers, which aligns with the broader body of evidence. ⚖️ Its second analysis, using a person's genes to predict consumption, is still an emerging methodology in alcohol research and does not carry the same weight as evidence from a randomised controlled trial. In this study, there was evidence that the genetic variants used to predict "drinks per week" could also be affecting dementia through other routes, which makes the results less reliable. 📰 When describing their results the authors use appropriately cautious language – which we haven’t seen repeated in news headlines. It is important that journalists do not rush to conclusions, and take the time to understand the science, looking beyond press releases to examine studies in their context carefully. 🔬 It is therefore unclear why these results have been given such prominence in the headlines, when overall evidence shows alcohol-related risks are complex and depend on level and pattern of drinking. ⚠️ People with specific questions about their drinking are encouraged to consult a healthcare professional. Together, they can determine what is best for that individual, based on individual risk factors, including family history, genetics, and lifestyle. For some people, the better choice may be to not drink at all.    🔗 For further interpretation, see Science Media Centre’s expert reaction: https://lnkd.in/gYDtkjnT

Recently I spoke to Felicity Carter at Drinks Insider about the United Nations High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health in NY on 25 September. Now more than ever it is important that policy is evidence-based and focused on reducing the harmful use of alcohol: 📖 I spoke about IARD’s role in providing analysis of existing research to support informed decision-making and to ensure global strategies are based on science. 📊 I explained official indicators of progress in reducing harmful use globally, and highlighted the encouraging signs we are seeing from some of the WHO data. 🏛️We discussed the Political Declaration, which will influence alcohol policy for years to come, and the importance of maintaining a whole-of-society approach, bringing together governments, civil society, and the private sector.

The World Health Organization data in our report presents an encouraging outlook, a message reinforced by their 2025 World Health Statistics highlighting “remarkable progress” 🌍.   The WHO found that total alcohol per capita consumption (APC) declined by 12% between 2010 and 2022 📉. It noted that if this rate of reduction continues, the world is on track to meet its target of a 20% reduction in APC by 2030 from 2010 levels ✅.

Responsibility round-up: highlighting the positive impact of our members. Across the globe, our members continue to advance initiatives that support social responsibility, sustainability, and community engagement: 🛣️ In Nigeria, AB InBev launched the country’s first Fleet Safety Global Training Workshop with United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). 🎪 In Hungary, Diageo’s DRINKiQ Oasis at the Sziget music festival gave festivalgoers a place to recharge while accessing responsible drinking resources. 🛠️ In Namibia, The HEINEKEN Company rolled out a “train the trainer” campaign to equip miners with tools for informed drinking decisions. 🌾 In Australia, Asahi Beverages is in the process of commencing a three-year partnership to help food relief charities deliver meals to families in need across rural Queensland. 🔋 In Vietnam, Carlsberg Group expanded its Phu Bai brewery in Hué, cutting water use by 20% and energy use by 15%, with net-zero production targeted by 2028. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eCA4hCDW Global Drinks Intel #ResponsibleDrinking #Sustainability #GlobalAction

The World Spirits Alliance panel on “Digital Labels & Global Trust – The Future of Trade” will explore how digital labelling is shaping product information, global trade, and consumer trust.   Ensuring consumers have access to clear information is crucial to empowering them to make informed choices. Across the globe, our members have included age-restriction reminders on billions of product labels, including alcohol-free extensions of alcohol brands; and are also implementing standards that include warnings against drinking during pregnancy and driving while intoxicated – as part of ongoing marketing cycles. These are applied in accordance with local laws and regulations and where no requirements previously existed.   👇📱 Follow the WSA event highlights for insights on the evolution of labelling

Today we release our Progress Report on Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-related Harm, based on the latest comprehensive World Health Organization (WHO) data.   The findings confirm meaningful progress worldwide in reducing alcohol-related harm. Between 2010 and 2019: - Alcohol-attributable deaths fell by 20.2% globally - Alcohol-related morbidity declined by 17.4% - Per capita consumption and heavy episodic drinking also declined (by 3.5% and 3.4%) though unevenly across regions   New analysis shows 113 countries (62% of WHO members with available data) have already met, or are on track to meet, the UN’s 2030 targets according to at least one indicator.   Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/etuRq6BR

How risky is it to drink alcohol? For adults to who choose to drink, that’s the question they want and need a clear answer to. The claim that there is “no safe level” of alcohol consumption is increasingly being amplified by some within public health authorities. However, as Dr Erik Skovenborg explains, this all-or-nothing concept is misleading and damaging to the public understanding of the risks of drinking alcohol: 👉The science shows that there are benefits as well as risks to consuming alcohol moderately, and that all the meta-analyses studies of the last 25 years indicate that those who drink moderately live at least as long as those who never drink. 👉When science cannot prove a negative, public health advisory bodies should seek to explain the level of risk to the public in order to help them manage those risks in their daily lives. This often involves using terms like “low risks to health” or “very low risk”. 👉Everything in life involves some degree of risk, and the balancing of risks and benefits. Skovenborg gives the example of cycling, something that many cities are promoting, which involves 5.5 times more traffic deaths per kilometer traveled than by car for all ages. The harmful use of alcohol involves serious risks to the individual and to others, and is rightly regulated. But putting all use of alcohol in that category is not supported by the science and does a disservice to the public, who need clear guidance not absolutism.