Alcohol and the burden of disease (2008)
The paper examines some of the assumptions upon which current WHO calculation of alcohol’s contribution to the global burden of disease (GBD) rests and argues that, given the proven beneficial effects of alcohol, burden assessment should not be based only on harmful aspects. Assessments should also take into consideration psychosocial benefits of alcohol consumption. According to the author, Walter Gulbinat, the uncertainties associated with both the database and methodology for estimating the disease burden attributable to alcohol are high and need to be considered in the interpretation of findings.

Gulbinat, W. (2008). Alcohol and the burden of disease. Addiction Research & Theory, 16, 541–552. Available in full text (Open Access).

For a commentary on this paper, see: Rehm, J., & Frick, U. (2009). Alcohol use as a risk factor for burden of disease: Methodological considerations. Alcohol Research & Theory, 17, 99–103. Available: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a908927694~db=all~order=page.

For a response to Rehm and Frick, see: Gulbinat, W. (2009). Discussion paper on alcohol and the burden of disease: Reply to Rehm and Frick. Alcohol Research & Theory, 17, 104–108. Available: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a908933426~db=all~order=page.

Health risks and benefits of moderate alcohol consumption: Proceedings of an international symposium. Annals of Epidemiology supplement (May 2007)
This supplement to the Annals of Epidemiology presents the proceedings of the international symposium, “Moderate Alcohol Consumption: Health Risks and Benefits,” jointly organized by ICAP and the Institute on Lifestyle and Health of the Boston University School of Medicine in May 2006.

Ellison, R. C. (Ed.). (2007, May). Health risks and benefits of moderate alcohol consumption: Proceedings of an international symposium. Annals of Epidemiology, 17(5S), S1–S114. Available in full text: http://www.annalsofepidemiology.org/issues.

Responsible drinks marketing: Shared rights and responsibilities. Report of an ICAP Expert Committee (2007)

An Expert Committee was convened by ICAP from 30 May to 2 June 2006, with participants who were selected from each region of the world, representing the perspectives of marketers, regulators, beverage alcohol producers, researchers, and consumers. The result of their work together was a report entitled, Responsible Drinks Marketing: Shared Rights and Responsibilities. The purpose of this article, published in the International Journal of Wine Business Research, is to share, and provide context for, eight recommendations about responsible drinks marketing, developed by the Committee. Recommendations focus on three distinct contexts: understanding perspectives on responsible drinks marketing, unifying principles for marketing worldwide, and best practice strategies for marketers. The author of the paper, Hugh Burkitt, chaired the Committee. He is Chief Executive of the Marketing Society in London, U.K.

Burkitt, H. (2007). Responsible drinks marketing: Shared rights and responsibilities. Report of an ICAP Expert Committee. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 19, 159-169. Available: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/17511060710817203.

Harm reduction and its application to alcohol policy: Special issue of the International Journal of Drug Policy (July 2006)
Papers submitted for consideration for this special issue of the International Journal of Drug Policy (IJDP) include presentations made at the alcohol session of the 16th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm (ICRDRH), held in Belfast in March 2005, along with other submissions. At the invitation of the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA), ICAP organized the session and provided logistical assistance with the production of this issue. The special issue was guest edited by Godfrey Robson, former Director of Health Policy at the Scottish Executive, and Alan Marlatt, Director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center, University of Washington.

Robson, G., & Marlatt, A. (Eds.). (2006). Special issue: Harm reduction and its application to alcohol policy. International Journal of Drug Policy, 17, 255–376.

The research community and the private sector: A hands-on or hands-off relationship? (2001)
This article summarized a symposium held at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Montreal, Canada, and was prepared on behalf of the symposium participants. The discussion focused on the relationship between research and the private sector, addressing whether such a relationship is possible or even desirable, and how concerns regarding the implementation of any such arrangement can be met. While participants represented a range of views, there was general agreement on two issues: the need to keep the source of funding separate from the research itself and the requirement for disclosure and complete transparency.

Martinic, M. (2001). The research community and the private sector: A hands-on or hands-off relationship? Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 25, 1801–1804.

Is "hazardous" drinking a useful concept for public health recommendations? (1999)
Educating the public about the potential harms and benefits that may result from alcohol consumption is a valuable tool in the prevention of harm. Recommendations are often couched in definitions of what constitutes "safe" and what falls under "risky" drinking. While meaningful and practical concepts and balanced definitions are surely needed, the usefulness of summarizing research on the relationship between drinking and potential risk into one-size-fits-all packages is questionable. This paper examines one such concept, that of "hazardous" drinking, and attempts to address the way in which this concept is derived and used in both the scientific literature and in recommendations for the public. The paper addresses the implications of providing such definitions for the purposes of policy and proposes ways in which recommendations on hazardous drinking can be made more meaningful to the public.

Martinic, M. (1999). Is "hazardous" drinking a useful concept for public health recommendations? Contemporary Drug Problems, 26, 653–-672.

Concept of alcohol dependence (1999)
The concept of alcohol dependence has attained considerable status in the alcohol literature. Described by some as perhaps the "master diagnosis," it has been criticized as a modest statistical phenomenon of little theoretical "coherence." This paper examined how the dependence concept achieved its celebrated status in the main diagnostic systems and to what extent it measures up against criticism from a wide range of theoretical perspectives. The article reviewed the ways in which alcohol consumption, drinking behavior, and their concomitants have been described and conceptualized over the past century. It then examined the key components of dependence and the extent to which they form a coherent syndrome or merely one of an array of alcohol-related symptoms.

Saunders, J. B., & Grant, M. (1999). The concept of alcohol dependence: Linking pathology to patterns of dependence. Opinions in Narcology, 1, 25–31.

A comparative analysis of alcohol education programs sponsored by the beverage alcohol industry (1998)
This paper compared alcohol education programs sponsored by the beverage alcohol industry at two points in time: 1984 and 1996. It showed that: (1) trade associations and so-called "social aspects organizations" have increased their level of activity regarding alcohol education programs; (2) independent evaluation of these activities is being taken more seriously, although there is still room for improvement; (3) issues of alcohol-impared driving and youth continue to dominate program activities; (4) the message of moderation in alcohol consumption is still a prevalent one, but  individual responsibility is gaining currency for a number of social aspects organizations; and (5) the gap between industry-funded bodies and public health funding agents is not as great as it once was. The development of partnerships between social aspects organizations and public sector bodies illustrates the beverage alcohol industry's increased interest in preventing the misuse of its products.

Houghton, E. (1998). Comparative analysis of alcohol education programs sponsored by the beverage alcohol industry. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education (JADE), 43, 15–33.