CISA

OVERVIEW

The Centro de Informações sobre Saúde e Álcool (CISA, Centre for Information on Health and Alcohol) is an alcohol industry front group established in 2004 in São Paulo, Brazil. In practice, CISA operates as a strategic ally of the alcohol industry in Brazil, legitimising industry narratives, delaying evidence-based alcohol policies, and defending profit interests.

Over the years, it has received direct support from AmBev (AB InBev’s Brazilian subsidiary) and Heineken, as well as partnerships with corporations such as Coca-Cola, while engaging academic institutions to reinforce its credibility. By shaping how alcohol is portrayed in public debate and media, and while representing the profit interests of the industry, CISA presents itself in a very different light.

On its website, the organisation states that its mission is “to contribute to the reduction of harmful alcohol use through high-quality scientific information”, a formulation originally published in Portuguese. The very choice of the phrase “harmful use of alcohol” already reflects industry-aligned language.

MEMBERS

Corporations

Associations and partners

  • Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo (via working group on alcohol and pregnancy)
  • Sociedade Brasileira de Alimentação e Nutrição (SBAN)
  • Instituto Perdizes do Hospital das Clínicas da USP

LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE

  • Arthur Guerra de Andrade, Executive President. Psychiatrist and academic with a long record of public collaboration with AmBev, including participation in industry-funded initiatives
  • Mariana Zanata Thibes, Coordinator
  • Kae Leopoldo, Senior Researcher
  • Marilia dos Reis Antunes, Senior Researcher
  • Maria Olivia Pozzolo, Medical Researcher
  • Karina Mosmann, Press Officer
  • Andréa Pinto Ferreira, Administrative Analyst
  • Carla Smith de Vasconcellos Crippa, President of the Deliberative Council. Corporate Affairs Director at AmBev (AB InBev Brazil)
  • André Franco Montoro Filho, Member of the Deliberative Council
  • Erica Rosanna Siu, Member of the Deliberative Council
  • Martino Martinelli Filho, Member of the Deliberative Council
  • Rodrigo João Pacheco e Silva Moccia, Member of the Deliberative Council
  • Rogério Fernando Taffarello, Member of the Deliberative Council
  • Linamara Rizzo Battistell, Member of the Deliberative Council

STRATEGIC MESSAGING AND POLICY INFLUENCE

CISA promotes narratives that align with alcohol industry interests by framing itself as a neutral source of health information while reinforcing the concept of “responsible consumption”. Its strategies include:

  • Positioning as a public health partner. CISA claims independence and public interest status (OSCIP), using this to build credibility with media, health professionals, universities, and the broader public.
  • Selective evidence framing. Its reports, such as the annual Panorama Álcool e Saúde dos Brasileiros, highlight certain harms of alcohol but avoid addressing evidence-based policy solutions such as taxation, marketing restrictions, or availability measures. Instead, they stress cultural aspects of alcohol consumption and personal responsibility.
  • Partnerships with industry and corporations. By openly collaborating with AmBev, Heineken, and Coca-Cola, CISA integrates industry sponsors into academic and health spaces, reducing scrutiny of corporate interference.
  • Influence through academia and media. CISA develops university courses, provides consultancy, and ensures extensive media coverage of its publications, securing itself as one of the most cited sources on alcohol in the Brazilian press.
  • Deflection from regulation. Its discourse emphasises education, awareness, and voluntary actions rather than structural policies that are proven to prevent and reduce alcohol harm.

Through these tactics, CISA contributes to normalising the alcohol industry’s role in public health debates, obstructing public health-focused alcohol policy, and maintaining favourable conditions for industry expansion in Brazil.

INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMMES

  • Annual report “Panorama Álcool e Saúde dos Brasileiros” (since 2019):Flagship publication collecting and analysing national and international data on alcohol use and health. Widely disseminated in the media and used as a reference in public debates.
  • University course PRG0011 “Álcool, Saúde e Sociedade” (since 2019):Undergraduate course offered by the University of São Paulo in collaboration with CISA. More than 12,000 students have taken the course, which includes 36 video lectures and projects for digital dissemination (apps, videos, podcasts).
  • Extension course “Álcool e Nutrição” (launched in 2024): Developed by CISA in partnership with the Sociedade Brasileira de Alimentação e Nutrição (SBAN) and the Instituto Perdizes of the Hospital das Clínicas da USP. Focuses on alcohol’s impact on nutrition and metabolism.
  • Consultancy for Coca-Cola “Pega Leve” programme (2024): CISA acted as consultant for Coca-Cola in this corporate initiative for “responsible consumption”, creating direct collaboration with the sugary drinks industry.
  • Educational and awareness materials: Infographics, brochures, and online content promoted through CISA’s website and social media channels as tools for prevention and harm reduction.
  • No school programmes identified