The Truth About Britain’s Public Health Responsibility Deal For Alcohol
Posted on November 09, 2015 in Europe, United KingdomA new report from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) condemns the Public Health Responsibility Deal for Alcohol, suggesting it has “worsened the health of the nation”. Dead on Arrival? Evaluating the Public Health Responsibility Deal for Alcohol surveys the evidence on the Government’s flagship public health programme, which was launched in 2011 as a voluntary partnership with commercial organisations, public bodies, academics and NGOs to promote public health goals.
The Responsibility Deal brings these actors together to commit to a set of non-binding pledges to reduce health harms. The IAS report demonstrates the failings of this project, finding:
The Responsibility Deal is not endorsed by academics or the public health community;
It has pursued initiatives known to have limited efficacy in reducing alcohol-related harm;
The evidence on the effectiveness of the Responsibility Deal is limited and unreliable, due to ambiguous goals and poor reporting practices;
Where evaluation has been possible, implementation has often failed to live up to the letter and/or spirit of the pledges;
The Responsibility Deal appears to have obstructed more meaningful initiatives with a stronger evidence base behind them…