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Tougher stance on harmful drinking paying off
By Marcus Grant |
August 31, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
RECENTLY in Nanjing, the Jiangsu Province Civilization Office and other local stakeholders launched the "Care for Life, Refuse Drink Driving" initiative, producing baseline surveys on drink driving in Nanjing.
The survey data could prove invaluable, with findings such as the fact that motorcyclists were the most frequent violators of drink driving laws - information that will help steer future prevention efforts.
This progress comes hot on the heels of great strides already made, with drink driving offenses down 40 percent since the government imposed a new stricter drink driving law in 2011.
In addition, in May, the China Alcoholic Drinks Association (CADA) held a well-attended forum on self-regulation of alcohol advertising involving several government ministries.
The event was the latest in a series of milestones - among them the April 2011 launch of the first principles for advertising ethics in China.
Also during the past two years, government and law enforcement authorities in China have made concerted efforts to crack down on counterfeit alcohol and establish several sets of new standards and practices to ensure the safety and quality of alcohol beverages, including baijiu.
The point? Much is being accomplished as part of efforts to reduce harmful drinking in China and address related problems.
So why all of this recent activity?
I assert that it is more than a coincidence that in 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the "Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol."
In fact, this newspaper published a commentary authored by me in 2010 addressing the significance of the global strategy and its call to action addressed at member states.
Engaging alcohol producers
I noted at the time that one of the most promising aspects of the strategy is its engagement of alcohol producers as part of the solution.
Indeed, two years later, we can point to impressive milestones, such as those I just described, and note that in each effort, alcohol producers have worked hand-in-hand with government and nongovernmental organizations to achieve positive results.
By no means is the alcohol industry taking credit for such progress in China or anywhere else.
But from my perspective, there is promise for significant additional progress as alcohol producers work as partners in critical efforts to prevent and reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
Nearly 20 years ago, when I founded the International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP), funding came straight from the world's leading alcohol producers.
They agreed to openly sponsor our work as a think tank, and also to not interfere with our findings and insights, whether they liked them or not. And it's been that way ever since.
Industry-funded initiatives
Our work has continually expanded, and now, through additional industry-funded initiatives known as Global Actions on Harmful Drinking (www.global-actions.org), we are helping to coordinate 27 project in 18 countries, including China, focused on drink driving, the marketing of alcohol beverages, and illicit and informally produced alcohol.
We would like readers to know that we are preparing to report to the international community on these projects, as well as many others sponsored by members of the alcohol industry, in a document to be released on October 8 at the launch of our international conference, "Global Actions: Initiatives to Reduce Harmful Drinking."
The event will offer an opportunity to take stock of progress made, and shine the spotlight on activities in countries such as China that are contributing tremendously to the fight against harmful drinking.
It will focus on initiatives that are living proof of the value of governments, civil society, and alcohol producers all working together to find feasible solution to difficult problems.
Significantly, the conference will feature a historic pledge made by the CEOs of leading alcohol producers, detailing specific additional actions they will take over the next five years to prevent and reduce harmful drinking.
So stay tuned. More than two years into the work of implementing the global strategy, there is certainly more to be done. And alcohol producers look forward to doing their share of that work.
Marcus Grant is President of the International Center for Alcohol Policies. The views are his own.
The survey data could prove invaluable, with findings such as the fact that motorcyclists were the most frequent violators of drink driving laws - information that will help steer future prevention efforts.
This progress comes hot on the heels of great strides already made, with drink driving offenses down 40 percent since the government imposed a new stricter drink driving law in 2011.
In addition, in May, the China Alcoholic Drinks Association (CADA) held a well-attended forum on self-regulation of alcohol advertising involving several government ministries.
The event was the latest in a series of milestones - among them the April 2011 launch of the first principles for advertising ethics in China.
Also during the past two years, government and law enforcement authorities in China have made concerted efforts to crack down on counterfeit alcohol and establish several sets of new standards and practices to ensure the safety and quality of alcohol beverages, including baijiu.
The point? Much is being accomplished as part of efforts to reduce harmful drinking in China and address related problems.
So why all of this recent activity?
I assert that it is more than a coincidence that in 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the "Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol."
In fact, this newspaper published a commentary authored by me in 2010 addressing the significance of the global strategy and its call to action addressed at member states.
Engaging alcohol producers
I noted at the time that one of the most promising aspects of the strategy is its engagement of alcohol producers as part of the solution.
Indeed, two years later, we can point to impressive milestones, such as those I just described, and note that in each effort, alcohol producers have worked hand-in-hand with government and nongovernmental organizations to achieve positive results.
By no means is the alcohol industry taking credit for such progress in China or anywhere else.
But from my perspective, there is promise for significant additional progress as alcohol producers work as partners in critical efforts to prevent and reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
Nearly 20 years ago, when I founded the International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP), funding came straight from the world's leading alcohol producers.
They agreed to openly sponsor our work as a think tank, and also to not interfere with our findings and insights, whether they liked them or not. And it's been that way ever since.
Industry-funded initiatives
Our work has continually expanded, and now, through additional industry-funded initiatives known as Global Actions on Harmful Drinking (www.global-actions.org), we are helping to coordinate 27 project in 18 countries, including China, focused on drink driving, the marketing of alcohol beverages, and illicit and informally produced alcohol.
We would like readers to know that we are preparing to report to the international community on these projects, as well as many others sponsored by members of the alcohol industry, in a document to be released on October 8 at the launch of our international conference, "Global Actions: Initiatives to Reduce Harmful Drinking."
The event will offer an opportunity to take stock of progress made, and shine the spotlight on activities in countries such as China that are contributing tremendously to the fight against harmful drinking.
It will focus on initiatives that are living proof of the value of governments, civil society, and alcohol producers all working together to find feasible solution to difficult problems.
Significantly, the conference will feature a historic pledge made by the CEOs of leading alcohol producers, detailing specific additional actions they will take over the next five years to prevent and reduce harmful drinking.
So stay tuned. More than two years into the work of implementing the global strategy, there is certainly more to be done. And alcohol producers look forward to doing their share of that work.
Marcus Grant is President of the International Center for Alcohol Policies. The views are his own.
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