Overview
The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research (ISFAR) was established in 2010 and presents itself as a group of physicians and scientists offering “expert commentary on new research related to alcohol and health”.
While ISFAR claims to provide balanced, science-based analysis, its leadership and several members have well-documented financial and professional ties to the alcohol industry. The group consistently promotes narratives that emphasize potential health benefits of moderate alcohol use – a position that aligns with commercial interests and conflicts with the growing body of evidence showing that no level of alcohol use is risk-free. Critics have described ISFAR as part of a broader network of industry-friendly entities that seek to influence the alcohol policy debate under the guise of scientific credibility.
Alcohol Industry Connections
ISFAR’s links to the alcohol industry are well documented. Its founding chair, Professor R.C. Ellison, previously led the Institute on Lifestyle & Health at Boston University, which received unrestricted donations from Diageo, Brown-Forman, and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation between 2007 and 2013. He also received funding as recently as 2017 to conduct reviews of wine and health research.
Several Forum members have received financial support from alcohol producers, trade associations, and social aspects organizations. These include consultancies, research grants, and honoraria from Carlsberg, Heineken, Diageo, the International Center for Alcohol Policies, Wine in Moderation, and Alcohol in Moderation (AIM).
Henk Hendriks, a co-director at ISFAR, is serving on the Advisory Board of Carlsberg, confirming an ongoing paid consultancy relationship with the global brewing company. He has collected personal fees for lectures from Brewers of Europe and Fundación Cerveza y Salud, Spain, and had paid consultancies from Heineken, IARD and an educational grant from Diageo plc.
ISFAR’s content is often distributed via Alcohol in moderation, an organization that is funded by beverage companies and industry bodies. While ISFAR states that its contributors are unpaid and its internal discussions are private, the use of an industry-linked channel raises further concerns about influence and reach.
Criticism and Public Health Concerns
ISFAR has repeatedly defended moderate alcohol use, often positioning it as beneficial to health despite growing consensus that no level of alcohol use is risk-free. Academic articles and media outlets have noted that ISFAR’s arguments closely align with alcohol industry interests.
ISFAR’s critiques of emerging public health research tend to focus on discrediting findings that challenge the idea of moderate alcohol consumption as protective. This pattern has led to widespread concern that ISFAR contributes to confusion in the public health debate and undermines efforts to communicate clear health risks associated with alcohol.