EPHA has participated in the stakeholder workshop on the Study on the Effectiveness of Health Information on Alcoholic Beverages, commissioned by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and conducted by ICF S.A. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of health information on alcoholic beverages and support the European Commission’s preparatory work for introducing health warnings on labels, thus aligning with what Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan has promised.
EPHA prioritises the introduction of health warning labels on alcoholic beverages. As a foremost advocate for public health across Europe, we underscore the crucial role these labels play within a broader strategy aimed at mitigating the harm caused by alcohol. Given that alcohol is identified as a risk factor in more than 200 non-communicable diseases (NCDs), EPHA champions the development and implementation of evidence-based policies to confront these challenges. We express significant concern regarding the involvement of industry stakeholders in discussions about health warning labels, citing a considerable conflict of interest. Despite the omission of key members with expertise in alcohol policies from this study, EPHA remains committed to forwarding public health policies through our active contribution of knowledge and expertise. We stress the importance of fostering public awareness and deploying evidence-based interventions, advocating for a comprehensive public health strategy to diminish the detrimental impacts of alcohol consumption. This stance critically addresses the involvement of industry stakeholders, whose vested interests in policy discussions pose a potential conflict.
Notably, our response was a collective effort, actively involving Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), International Organisation of Good Templars (IOGT-NTO), and EuroCare, reflecting a unified stance from key EPHA members specialising in alcohol policies.
