Political interference
Political interference, or lobbying, is Big Alcohol’s activity to eliminate or minimize any alcohol policy effort that would threaten sales and profits. The focus of this Dubious Five strategy is the decision-makers and opinion leaders with the power to shape and decide alcohol policy decisions. Tactics of political interference are delay, derail, or even destroy alcohol policy initiatives, and to divide coalitions supporting alcohol policy initiatives. Big Alcohol is paying lobbyists and lobby front groups to interfere in public health policy making around the world.
Latest cases of Political interference
AB InBev, Diageo, Heineken, Pernod Ricard Ten Countries in Three Months: How Big Alcohol Uses Illicit Trade Fears to Delay and Derail Alcohol Policy
Just in the past three months, alcohol companies and their trade groups have deployed claims of booming illicit alcohol markets in at least ...
AB InBev, Ambev, Heineken, Heineken Brazil Brazil’s Selective Tax Delayed After Beer Industry-Aligned Polling Reaches President Lula’s Advisers
An internal survey by Instituto Locomotiva – with question framing that mirrors the beer industry’s lobbying messaging – has ...
AB InBev, Ambev, Heineken, Heineken Brazil Brazilian Beer Industry Lies About Beer Tax While Its Lowest in the Americas
As Brazil discusses alcohol taxes, WHO data shows that the excise tax share on Brazilian beer at 2.28% is the lowest in the Americas ...
AB InBev, Heineken Beverages SA How Big Alcohol Stole the Budget: Inside the Industry Campaign That Derailed South Africa’s Alcohol Tax Ambitions
South Africa’s 2026 Budget set alcohol excise at a 3.4% increase – a clear retreat from last year’s above-inflation adjustment and a ...
AB InBev, Diageo, Heineken Alcohol Industry Uses Inflated Job Claims and Fake Civil Society to Derail Nigeria’s Sachet Ban
Nigeria’s move to phase out sachet and small-bottle alcohol – formats designed for ultra-availability, low price and youth appeal – ...
Alcohol Industry Group Asobares Pushes for Expanded Late-Night Service Despite Rising Violence
Bogotá’s nightlife is under renewed scrutiny as a series of violent incidents have drawn attention to what happens in the city’s bars ...
Diageo Diageo Exploits Youth Employment Crisis to Rebrand Itself as a “Development Partner” in South Africa
When South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, appeared alongside Diageo South Africa, ...
Profit Before Health: Big Alcohol’s Grip on the U.N. NCD Process
The new U.N. political declaration on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) could have been a turning point for global health. Instead, ...
Bacardi, Diageo, Pernod Ricard Industry-Sponsored “Reform” Would Make Alcohol Cheaper in Mexico
The wine and spirits industry is quietly steering Mexico’s alcohol tax debate – and it’s doing so under the guise of policy ...
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Deception
Manipulation
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