259684 Global Action on Alcohol: The Role of Science and Advocacy Networks

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 11:30 AM - 11:50 AM

Hans Peter Schmitz , Political Science, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Global action addressing harmful uses of alcohol has expanded since the mid-1990s when the WHO's Global Burden of Disease project identified alcohol abuse as a key contributor to global mortality and morbidity rates. While solid scientific evidence on the harmful effects of alcohol use exists, the adoption and implementation of effective policies to address this public health issue lag behind both at the global and national levels. This research answers the question why addressing alcohol as a global issue has been limited and slow, in particular when compared to comparable issues, such as controlling tobacco use. The research is based on interviews with 40-60 scientists and policy experts active in the area of alcohol control. Results presented focus on two areas: First, how do individuals and groups active in the field of alcohol control collaborate and how can network analysis contribute to a greater understanding of the opportunities and limits of such global collaboration? Second, what are the challenges identified by those experts, including the relative importance of commercial interests, divisions within the public health community and variation in social perceptions about alcohol consumption across nations?

While industry interests play an important role in explaining the prevalence of ineffective policy responses, the results of this research put emphasis on the lack of explicit advocacy for alcohol control. Evidence-based arguments have been able to move alcohol back on the global agenda, but there is a lack of broader coalition-building and a dearth of effective responses to industry framing efforts.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Compare global action on alcohol with similar issues, e.g. tobacco Explain why measures on limiting the harmful use of alcohol remain weak or are being weakened in many nations Identify in what ways scientific information shapes the public discourse on alcohol policies

Keywords: Advocacy, Alcohol

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As associate professor at Maxwell School of Citizenship, Syracuse Univeristy, I study the role of global health networks in addressing major communicable and noncommunicable diseases. I have conducted research on the role of scientific communities in public health issues for the past three years. I have presented these results at International meetings and in workshops.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.