Global Action on Harmful Drinking is a consortium of initiatives dedicated to helping reduce the harmful use of alcohol. This work is the result of a collective commitment made by the chief executives of major international beverage alcohol producers to make a significant effort in the 2010-2012 time frame to address harmful drinking through a combination of global and local actions, with an emphasis on low- and middle-income countries.
We are taking action to help ensure that beverage alcohol marketing is responsible and does not encourage excessive or irresponsible drinking, particularly among young adults, nor unduly appeal to underage youth.
We are working with communities, organizations and governments to establish and strengthen self-regulatory systems for responsible marketing in more than 10 countries. These efforts will leverage our experience with self-regulation around the world, reflecting what we and our partners have learned about best practices.
Globally, there are more than one million road fatalities each year, and many millions of additional injuries. Although estimates of crashes caused by drink driving may vary from country to country, one point is clear: It is a leading contributor.
Through a combination of global and local action, we are implementing our Drink Driving initiative in partnership with government, industry and community stakeholders, with a focus on six low- and middle-income countries where drink driving is a significant issue.
Our term “noncommercial alcohol” refers to traditional drinks produced for home consumption or local trade, unregistered and counterfeit products, and “surrogate” alcohols (derived from medicinal compounds, automobile products, cosmetics, and other substances).
Because they are produced and distributed outside of regulated settings, such drinks evade taxation and formal quality checks, and may pose a public health hazard. This is particularly true in the 10 developing countries in which we are working to make a difference.