Netherlands: Alcohol Roundtable Disbanded Over Failure to Achieve Progress Due to Alcohol Industry Involvement

The alcohol policy roundtable in the Netherlands has been discontinued by Maarten van Ooijen, the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport. In his letter on the decision to the House of Representatives he explained that the roundtable had a delaying effect on alcohol policy making instead of accelerating action on alcohol harm. This delaying effect was due to the alcohol lobby having a seat at the table and obstructing evidence-based alcohol policy making.