The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) has launched a new report highlighting actions IARD members are taking through partnerships to help prevent underage drinking. Robust partnerships among private and public sector and communities can help further reduce underage drinking, by helping to change social norms and make underage drinking socially unacceptable. It is positive to see the decline in underage drinking in many countries, but there is still much work to be done to accelerate these trends.
We are pleased to see APISWA’s responsibility campaigns featured in this report, highlighting actions that are being taken to help prevent underage drinking across the world, showcasing our strong support and engagement with the Cambodian government in the development and expected implementation of a Legal Purchasing Age (LPA) in Cambodia to protect minors from accessing alcohol beverages.
Key actions IARD members have taken to help reduce underage drinking
In recent years, and in response to direct asks of our sector within the 2018 United Nations Political Declaration on noncommunicable diseases, IARD members have taken further concrete steps to accelerate and support declines in underage drinking including:
- ▸Introducing symbols or written age-restriction reminders on their alcohol brands – including no-alcohol extensions of these brands – to send a clear message that those underage should not consume alcohol.
- Putting in place five key safeguards on their online marketing channels aimed at helping to ensure that their marketing is only directed at those adults who can lawfully buy their products. Safeguards are being strengthened through global partnerships with leading digital platforms.
- First ever industry-wide global standards aimed at enhancing transparency and preventing influencer marketing reaching those under the legal purchase age.
- Working alongside prominent global and regional online retailers, and e-commerce and delivery platforms to develop standards to help prevent online orders reaching those underage.
- Free online resources that support retailers, hospitality venues, and delivery platforms in their efforts to help ensure alcohol is not sold, served, or delivered to people underage or intoxicated.
The report features many more responsibility initiatives implemented by IARD and actions carried out by various industry associations and partners globally at a local level, to help achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 17, and goals set out in the WHO’s Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030. The full IARD report is accessible at this link: https://bit.ly/46dD9qx
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The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing harmful drinking and promoting understanding of responsible drinking. We are supported by the leading global beer, wine, and spirits producers, who have come together for a common purpose: to be part of the solution in combating harmful drinking. To advance this shared mission, IARD works and partners with public sector, civil society, and private stakeholders. www.iard.org
