Spirits sector supports public-private partnerships to reduce alcohol-related harm

SpiritsEUROPE hosts a workshop in Brussels today (14 April) to showcase a number of successful public-private campaigns from Europe and around the world aimed at reducing alcohol related harm.  The event brings together stakeholders from the spirit sector, NGOs, EU institutions and member states to share best practices from prevention campaigns.

“Overall, we consider the fight against alcohol harm to be too fragmented, and lacking in coordination,” said Paul Skehan, Director General of spiritsEUROPE.  “Instead of all working in silos, we should work more in partnership.  This is why we show examples of successful partnerships that are influencing attitudes and behaviour towards responsible drinking patterns.  We want to show that all stakeholders working together can achieve far more than all working separately.”

Examples of public-private partnerships were presented, including between producers and city municipalities.  This is the case in Spain with the ‘Children, not a single drop: over 100 reasons why a child should not drink’ campaign, aimed at changing perceptions of underage drinking and making it socially unacceptable.

Similarly, an agreement was just signed between producers, bars and the municipality of Lisbon in Portugal to employ “night angels” to promote respectful use of public spaces and reduce public disorder in difficult neighborhoods.  With the same objective, a wide partnership is in place for more than a year between drinks producers, bars and the Danish Ministry of Health, to ensure safe night-life in Denmark.

The UK has a longstanding tradition of partnership approach and several examples where presented involving licensing authorities, healthcare producers, police and councils.  In Poland, on the other hand, it is industry working with the Customs authorities that has developed a campaign to educate consumers on the dangers of consuming illicit alcohol - created after the alcohol poisoning of 2013.

Last but not least, a campaign in Québec for the past four years shows that when partners from the scientific community, public health authorities, producers, distributors, creative agencies, etc. all come together, they can be very powerful at spreading messages that resonate with the target group and increase levels of knowledge and influence behaviour.

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