The ICAP Blue Book offers a comprehensive guide to the key issues in alcohol policy development and an integrated approach to prevention. It draws upon the best available research and experience from around the world.

As a policy guide, the ICAP Blue Book is based on three principles:

·         drinking patterns and their outcomes as a sound scientific basis for policy development;

·         targeted interventions that address specific "at-risk" populations, potentially harmful contexts and drinking behaviors as key in maximizing the benefits and minimizing the harms related to drinking;

·         partnerships that allow the inclusion of the public and private sectors, the community and civil society as an excellent opportunity to promote the complex mix of measures required by each society.

It is intended as a tool to assist those seeking guidance in developing policy and prevention approaches, be they governments, intergovernmental organizations, public health officials and specialists, researchers, nongovernmental organizations, the beverage alcohol industry and its related bodies or civil society organizations interested in alcohol policy development.

To assist stakeholders in using the Blue Book to develop approaches to individual issues or comprehensive alcohol policies at the local or national level, a simple protocol, the Alcohol Policy Seminar (APS), has been developed.  Information about the APS, its implementation and ICAP’s partners in its development is available at www.alcoholseminar.org.

Click here for the ICAP Blue Book Module on Alcohol Education. (133 KB .pdf)

Click here for the entire ICAP Blue Book.

Related Blue Book Modules include:

Drinking Guidelines (128 KB .pdf), Responsible Hospitality (132 KB .pdf), Early Identification and Brief Intervention (133 KB .pdf), Alcohol Dependence and Treatment (150 KB .pdf).