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Drinks leaders speak out on alcohol policy: Claire Hu

Published:  26 November, 2009

Leading drinks company bosses today urged the trade to have a say on alcohol harm reduction policy, before ineffective and costly legislation is imposed on the industry.

Leading drinks company bosses today urged the trade to have a say on alcohol harm reduction policy, before ineffective and costly legislation is imposed on the industry.

Paul Walsh, chief executive of Diageo, and Graham Mackay, chief executive of SABMiller, said it was not only of social benefit to engage in the debate but in the trade's long-term commercial interests.

They were speaking at the launch of the International Centre for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) book Working Together to Reduce Harmful Drinking - the trade's contribution to the World Health Organisation's global strategy to reduce alcohol abuse.

Speaking to Harpers, Paul Walsh said: "If we don't engage we will face more taxes and more restrictions on how we wish to operate. That will add cost in the system and it will be the average consumer, who enjoys our product responsibly, who will be punished."

Walsh said there was a small but vocal minority of public health lobbyists who questioned the right of the drinks trade to have a say in formulation of harmful drinking strategies.

"Why do we support efforts to reduce alcohol related harm?", he asked. "Because irresponsible drinking causes problems for society - but it also creates a negative image of alcohol that is simply bad for business."

Graham Mackay said there was a danger of "soundbite" policies, such as raising taxes or imposing minimum pricing, in response to binge drinking when they had not been proven to be universally effective.

"Alcohol prices in the UK are very high and yet in comparison with other EU countries there does not appear to be the same level of binge drinking", he told Harpers.

Mackay added: "In our experience, alcohol abuse responds poorly to presidential fiat. In a world where approaching half of all alcohol in produced and consumed outside any recognisably regulated industry, the idea that governments can deal with the problem alone, is self-evidently misguided.

"Instead, real and sustainable change will only be achieved through the determined co-operation of producers, legislators, retailers, enforcement authorities, parents and individuals."

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