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Posted on May 22, 2023
Alcohol Harm, Alcohol Industry, Corporate Consumption Complex, Policy, Research
New research examining alcohol industry contributions to inform the development of Australia’s national alcohol strategy exposes numerous ways the alcohol industry misrepresents science.
The present study analysed alcohol industry submissions into Australia’s National Alcohol Strategy to determine the content of these submissions and the ways in which evidence was used and misused.
This study describes five common assertions made by the alcohol industry in their attempts to influence the development of the Australian National Alcohol Strategy.
Through identifying these assertions, the study provides an understanding of the policy issues for which the alcohol industry is most concerted in directing their efforts.
The alcohol industry is misusing evidence in their submissions to government consultations to make their assertions about alcohol policy. It is therefore essential that industry submissions are scrutinised and not accepted on face value.
This demonstrates the need for tighter regulation of the alcohol industry, akin to the regulation of the tobacco industry under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
SOURCE: Drug Alcohol Review 2023 RELEASE DATE: 21/05/2023 Download PDF
Unpacking assertions made by the alcohol industry and how they make them: An analysis of submissions into Australia’s National Alcohol Strategy
Key points
- Submissions into government inquiries and policy processes are one way in which alcohol policy can be influenced in Australia.
- The alcohol industry frequently contributes to such processes, with previous research demonstrating that they commonly misuse and obscure evidence to make their arguments.
- The present study analysed alcohol industry submissions into Australia’s National Alcohol Strategy to determine the content of these submissions and the ways in which evidence was used and misused.
- The study found that the alcohol industry consistently made five common assertions:
- ‘Drinking alcohol in moderation has health benefits’;
- ‘Alcohol isn’t the cause of violence’;
- ‘Targeted initiatives, not population level alcohol policies, are needed’;
- ‘Strong alcohol advertising regulations are not necessary’; and
- ‘Minimum unit price and pricing and taxation policies more broadly are not needed’.
- The industry also frequently misused and misrepresented evidence.
- Systematic scrutiny of submissions made into government policy processes is required to ensure that policy makers are aware of misinformation and poor-quality evidence when policy decisions are being made.
The study’s lead author Mia Miller, from the Menzies School of Health Research, told the Sydney Morning Herald: “Alcohol companies and lobbyists use a lot of evidence in their submissions, which I think is a way to try and position themselves as credible and trustworthy stakeholders in policy debates. Only when you drill down into the detail like we have in our study do you see that the industry are consistently misquoting and misrepresenting evidence.”
Mia Miller, study lead author, and PhD student and research associate at Menzies School of Health Research
(Source: Movendi International )
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Drinking and driving continue to be a serious problem, but it has been eclipsed by drugging and driving – such is the power of ‘education’. Education against drink driving and education for ‘normalising’ drug use.
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Alcoholic myopathy is a condition that causes loss of function and strength in your skeletal muscles in response to long-term or heavy drinking. It can come on suddenly after binge drinking or can happen over time after regular alcohol use.
Alcoholic myopathy happens in about one-third of people who have alcoholism. It’s more common in people who have other alcohol-related diseases like liver cirrhosis.
There are two types of alcoholic myopathy: acute and chronic.
- Acute alcoholic myopathy. This type happens after binge drinking 4 to 5 alcoholic drinks that cause a blood alcohol level of 0.08 grams per deciliter or more. It can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition called rhabdomyolysis, in which alcohol causes muscle tissue to break down and release into your blood.
- Chronic alcoholic myopathy. This type of muscle condition is linked to a lifetime of drinking high amounts of alcohol. Over time, too much alcohol leads to tissue damage and deficiencies in B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium, and vitamin D. This causes problems converting protein into muscle and repairing muscle. (Source: WebMD)
Also see
A new scientific study concludes there is no safe level of drinking alcohol.
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Alcohol and other drug overdoses are a significant public health problem and a common cause of death among young adults. This study assessed whether alcohol use at age 15–16 years is a risk factor for alcohol or drug overdose, or poisoning requiring medical attention, by the age of 32–33 in a population-based Finnish cohort study
- First alcohol intoxication at age ˜12, and high alcohol tolerance were associated with an increased risk of intentional overdose.
Comments: This cohort study suggests that specific alcohol use patterns in adolescence are associated with increased risk of alcohol and other drug-related overdose later in life. Overdose prevention efforts could include early identification and intervention during adolescence/young adulthood for people with early onset of alcohol consumption, frequent alcohol intoxication, and high alcohol tolerance.
(Source: Boston University AOD Current Evidence May 2023)
Also see www.greaterrisk.com and 21bethere.org.au
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The self-regulatory alcohol advertising system in Australia, ABAC, conducted a review of their code and processes last year, which report is about to be released.
Several health and community groups publicly declined to participate in the review. But more, they released the following statement in relation to the clearly industry subjective, and no doubt, self-affirming process.
“We, the undersigned, refuse to participate in this process of reviewing a scheme which is inherently flawed. No amount of tinkering with the ABAC, which is designed and run by alcohol lobbyists, will ever put the health and wellbeing of our community above the profits of these multinational corporations. We need strong Government-led regulation of alcohol marketing in Australia that is independent of the alcohol industry — a comprehensive legislative framework with enforcement measures that effectively stop harmful alcohol marketing. Many community and health organisations have long recognised and advocated for such an approach.”
What is Really Needed:
- Now, alcohol companies relentlessly market their products to children, young people and people at risk of harm – this must change immediately.
- The rules the industry has developed for itself are weak and littered with loopholes. Community complaints are often dismissed, and even when breaches are upheld, there are no consequences because the code is completely voluntary. Or just remove useful but ignored long-standing best practice legislation.
- Consequently, it is way past time that all Alcohol advertising needs to be subject to government-led regulation that protects children, families and the broader community.
