Why Big Alcohol Fears Regulation

If you’ve ever wondered why the alcohol industry lobbies so hard against laws that might hinder its bottom line, a new study might shed some light. A comparative analysis of alcohol control policies in 30 countries found a clear link between alcohol policy and public health.

The study’s authors gauged the strength of each country’s alcohol control policies, such as limiting availability, price controls, and advertising. Using an index, each nation was given a policy score. The analysis revealed a strong negative correlation between score and consumption; in other words, the stricter the policy, the less alcohol was consumed. And while this should come as no surprise, it is disappointing to see how the US compares to the rest of the developed world. We ranked 15th out of 30, falling below Australia, Japan, Canada and most of Scandinavia.

analysis is by T. Eve Greenaway, Marin Institute