Special Feature: No Ordinary Commodity – Trade, Big Alcohol and Alcohol Harm

The alcohol industry, their lobby groups, and government representatives from alcohol producing high-income countries are actively working to influence trade agreement negotiations for industry economic gain. They also use the World Trade Organization to pressure developing countries to neglect public health oriented alcohol policy development, arguing for rules which benefit transnational alcohol corporations, located in Western countries but which jeopardize health and sustainable development.
Civil society, community groups, and academia therefore need to pay greater attention to trade and investment agreements and WTO processes to develop counter frames to protect governments’ space to develop coherent health policies.