Alcohol Industry’s Focus on Illicit Products Masks the Risks of Legal Alcohol

Global liquor companies are intensifying their campaign against illicit alcohol in the Philippines, citing health risks. The Alliance Against Counterfeit Spirits (AACS), supported by industry groups such as the Asia Pacific International Spirits and Wines Alliance (APISWA) and the Alcoholic Beverages Alliance of the Philippines (ABAPI), is urging consumers to avoid unrecorded alcohol, which includes homemade, smuggled, and counterfeit products. Their members include major global liquor brands and distributors such as Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Campari, Diageo and Pernod Ricard.​

However, this focus conveniently ignores a crucial fact: most alcohol-related harm comes from legal, commercial products. Whether it’s a bottle from global brands like Bacardi or a counterfeit spirit, the primary cause of harm is the ethanol. By framing the issue solely around illicit alcohol, these companies are avoiding a larger conversation about the inherent risks of their own products. Alcohol-related harm places immense burdens on healthcare systems and communities in the Philippines and worldwide.

Deception is Big Alcohol’s activity to hinder and obscure public recognition of the real effects of alcohol. The focus of the DUBIOUS FIVE strategy of deception is the public’s recognition of the full extent of alcohol harm, the understanding of the risk caused by alcohol products, and the root causes of alcohol harm and their most effective alcohol policy solutions. Using deception strategies Big Alcohol seeks to fuel cognitive dissonance among the public.

Source:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/14/global-liquor-firms-campaign-vs-illicit-alcohol

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