Alcohol Industry-Funded ‘Education’ Programs in Spain
Posted on May 06, 2024 in Spirits Spain, Manipulation, SpainThe Ministry of Education, Science and Vocational Training, in collaboration with the Alcohol and Society Foundation (FAS), has implemented the program “Not a Drop to Minors” program in Extremadura, a region of Spain, with the aim at preventing alcohol among underage individuals.
The “Not a Drop to Minors” program has been in development since 2019. The Minister of of Education, Science, and Vocational Training in Extremadura emphasised the need to address alcohol prevention from educational centers, especially in light of statistics indicating that 50% of youths aged 14 to 18 have used alcohol in the past month and that alcohol use begins around the age of 14.
The Alcohol and Society Foundation is funded by the Spanish Federation of Spirits (FEBE) and it is a non-profit organization, established in the year 2000, with the main objective of promoting “good alcohol use habits”.
Manipulation is Big Alcohol’s activity to control its image. The alcohol industry engages in manipulation activities to protect and cultivate their image and the values of their brands. So, alcohol companies often portray themselves as part of the solution, emphasising corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and partnerships with public health organisations.
The alcohol industry-funded “education” programs often fail to acknowledge alcohol as a harmful product. Instead, they normalise alcohol use and use a space that could otherwise be utilised by truly independent and evidence-based initiatives. These programs serve the interests of the alcohol industry, perpetuating the myth of alcohol’s harmlessness and promoting and normalising its use and, as a result, they undermine efforts to address alcohol-related issues effectively.
- Front Group: Espirituosos España