Heineken’s chief executive, Dolf van den Brink, recently maid misleading claims that beer could help ease loneliness and even address the “mental health epidemic.” He said people should take a “balanced view” of alcohol’s social benefits – comments made while outlining Heineken’s next phase of sales expansion.
Alcohol is not a remedy for loneliness or poor mental health. Research over several decades shows the opposite – alcohol use increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and social isolation.
Studies show that alcohol and other unhealthy commodities are associated with worse mental health outcomes. A 2024 review published in PLOS Global Public Health found evidence from 65 systematic reviews that alcohol, tobacco, ultra-processed foods, gambling, social media and fossil-fuel-related exposures were associated with depression, suicide or anxiety across high, middle and low-income countries. The review identified alcohol as one of the key commodities linked to suicide and depressive disorders.
The authors summarised the findings this way in a press release :
“Unhealthy commodities – like alcohol or social media – are connected with poor mental health.”
The Alcohol and Society Report 2024: Alcohol and the Brain describes how alcohol affects the brain’s structure and function, impairing memory, learning, balance, and emotional regulation. The report clearly links alcohol use to depression, anxiety, dementia, and addiction, and concludes that “brain health benefits from avoiding alcohol.” This applies to both occasional and long-term consumption.
Beyond the growing evidence linking alcohol to poor mental health, research on prevention underscores that genuine progress depends on policy. A 2024 study published in Mental Health & Prevention argues that preventing common mental disorders requires meeting seven key conditions – one of which is to “use the power of policy.” The authors identify legislation, taxation and public investment as essential tools for creating environments that protect mental health by addressing underlying social and economic risk factors such as poverty, education, employment, and family support.
In the context of alcohol, “the power of policy” means using proven population-level solutions to prevent mental disorders caused or worsened by alcohol use. This includes more ambitious alcohol taxes and common-sense limits on availability and alcohol marketing.
Against this backdrop, Heineken’s message is a calculated attempt to align its brand with social well-being while ignoring the harm its products cause. Suggesting that beer can ease loneliness is normalising alcohol use among people who are already vulnerable – and worsening the very problems the company falsely claims to address.
This fits a wider pattern in Heineken’s global marketing: portraying beer as a symbol of connection and belonging while concealing its role in conflict, dependence, and mental distress. Turning loneliness into a sales strategy is not care; it’s exploitation.
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:
- Financial Express: “Beer eases loneliness, tackles mental health epidemic, claims Heineken’s CEO” (2025)