Deception
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.
Latest cases of Deception

Vietnam: Alcohol Excise Tax Increase Risks Getting Delayed Until 2027
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance proposes delaying the Special Consumption Tax (SCT) increase on alcohol and beer from 2026 to 2027, ...

Civil Society Capture in Action: How Uganda Red Cross Became a Pawn in Big Alcohol’s Game
Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL), a subsidiary of global alcohol giant Diageo, has launched a new campaign called Eyo Red Card, claiming to ...

Normalizing Alcohol Use Through Deception – The Industry’s Real Goal Behind “Moderation Week”
The Asia Pacific International Spirits and Wines Alliance (APISWA) has launched a so-called “Moderation Week” across Vietnam, Cambodia, ...

IARD Exploits Decline In Youth Alcohol Use to Whitewash Industry Image
The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) – the alcohol industry’s global mouthpiece – has released a new report ...

Theatre of Deception: Diageo’s School Program in Brazil
Diageo – the alcohol giant behind brands like Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff – continues to push its so-called “Na Real” program into ...

Colombian Children Targeted by Diageo’s Misleading “Smashed” Program
Diageo’s “Smashed” program is making its way into Colombian schools under the guise of preventing underage alcohol use. As ...

Unmasking Diageo’s ‘Na Real’ Program in Brazil
Diageo’s ‘Na Real’ program in Brazil is framed as an initiative to “educate adolescents about the risks of underage alcohol ...

Heineken in Sri Lanka – Undermining Alcohol Taxes to Protect Profits
At a panel discussion in Sri Lanka, Heineken Lanka repeated a familiar Big Alcohol tactic: claiming that higher alcohol taxes fuel illicit ...

Alcohol Industry Frontgroup FISAC Undermines Public Health with Misleading Narratives
The Foundation of Social Investigations A.C. (FISAC) in Mexico presents itself as a civil society organization dedicated to alcohol ...