Better protections needed against alcohol industry interference

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-07-21 00:01

New Zealand

Photo by Orkhan Farmanli on Unsplash

Alcohol is a leading cause of harm in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the industry's influence extends from politics to many other aspects of life. It has been found to target groups who are most vulnerable to alcohol-related harm, such as Māori, and it uses marketing and educational information to shift responsibility onto individual consumers rather than population level policy responses. In a viewpoint in the New Zealand Medical Journal, researchers call for better protections against alcohol industry interference. They say we could learn from tobacco control how to manage conflicts of interest in the development and implementation of alcohol policies. Rules on political donations and lobbying must be strengthened, institutions could be encouraged to publicly promote their non-engagement with the alcohol industry, and alcohol policies must promote equity by giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

News release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

Alcohol legislation in Aotearoa New Zealand has not been sufficient to minimise the harm and inequities caused by alcohol use, and a comprehensive review of alcohol policies has been postponed. Because of the alcohol industry’s vested interests, the World Health Organization notes that industry involvement in public health policy has potential risks that should be minimised. In this paper we illustrate the significant extent of alcohol industry penetration in Aotearoa and how such influence undermines equity by amplifying the harms of colonisation. The government lacks policies that limit interactions with the alcohol industry, such as political donations and lobbying.

We recommend what can be done to limit alcohol industry influence in policymaking, including using experiences in tobacco control to manage conflicts of interest, strengthening rules over political donations and lobbying, enhancing transparency of interactions, promoting non-collaboration with the alcohol industry, and advocating for alcohol policies that give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Journal/
conference: NZMJ

Organisation/s: Massey University

Funder: n/a

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