Industry Views on Beverage Alcohol Advertising and Marketing, with Special Reference to Young People
Introduction
1. Both leading beverage alcohol producers and WHO recognize that alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are significant public health problems. Although differences certainly exist in views about the relative importance of the health benefits of moderate drinking or the definitions of what might be called harmful drinking, there is agreement that irresponsible and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to adverse health and social consequences, both in the short and long term. A key area of common concern relates to alcohol consumption by young people, which has been perceived in developed and developing countries as an important problem.
2. There are two distinct aspects of this problem. The first relates to the consumption of beverage alcohol by those under the minimum legal drinking age, however that is defined in any particular country. The other is a pattern of drinking by