An Industry Perspective on Partnership

1
An Industry Perspective on Partnership
Rosemary Garth ABFI Director
2
Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland

• Established October 2007
• Umbrella organisation for alcoholic drinks
  suppliers
• Sector in Irish Business and Employers
  Confederation (IBEC)
• Inclusive sectoral representation
• Speak with one voice
• Proactive positive
• First of its kind

3
Alcohol Misuse

• While the majority of people consume alcohol in a
  responsible manner
• Alcohol Misuse is a major social problem in
  Ireland
• - Binge drinking
• - Underage drinking
• Drink Driving

4
Context of alcohol misusein Ireland

• Major societal changes
• Celtic Tiger
• Demographic Shift
• Civic vs. Conformist Society
• Lifestyle Pressures cash rich, time poor
  generation
• Led to significant increases in consumption of
  alcohol.
• BUT Bigger change shift in patterns of
  consumption.
• Consumption is falling - declined by 7.5 since
  2001.

5
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
6
Alcohol Misuse
7
Role of drinks industry in tackling Alcohol
Misuse

• It is the right thing to do.
• As stakeholders in society we fully recognise
  the imperative to reduce the misuse of alcohol
  and its consequent harms and we see our industry
  as a front line partner in doing so.
• Any level of alcohol related harm poses
  challenges to the future sustainability of our
  industry and the regulatory environment in which
  we operate.
• Long-term moderate consumers of alcohol are
  preferable to short term mis-users of alcohol for
  all stakeholders.

8
Approaches in tackling Alcohol Misuse

• Population based/Nordic Model
• Increased Taxes
• Restricting Availability
• Restricting Advertising
• Limitations of this approach
• Focuses on total consumption rather than patterns
  of consumption
• Discriminates against moderate consumers
• Weak evidence base
• E.g. recent research on effect of reducing excise
  duty no increase in consumption

9
Tackling Alcohol Misuse Alone?

• Stand alone approaches
• Impinge on the broad population
• Lack flexibility to respond to target group and
  individuals who misuse alcohol

10
Tackling Through Partnership

• ABFI can bring common concerns to the forefront
• Work with the Government and other Stakeholders
  to deliver practical and relevant policies
• Multi-stakeholder results in multi-action
  response
• Industry must be allowed to play a full role to
  shift attitudes to alcohol

11
Benefits of Partnership

• Partnership gives everyone a voice
• Focus on what can be achieved rather than what
  cannot
• Measures can target particular problematic areas
• Outcomes can be implemented more effectively

12
Social Partnership in Ireland

• Through social partnership, Ireland is one of the
  few countries to have the proper framework upon
  which to achieve such a partnership.
• Stakeholders
• government departments
• industry and employers
• trade unions
• social inclusion groups
• ngos

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Social Partnership Special Initiative on Alcohol
Misuse

• Recognition of needs for a multi stakeholder
  approach
• Recommendations included
• Community Mobilisation
• Targetted Interventions
• Development of guidelines for a workplace alcohol
  misuse policy
• New code of practice for off trade sector
• Enhanced Responsible Serving and Trading of
  Alcohol

14
Social Partnership special Initiative

• Support for better road safety Random Breath
  Testing
• Labelling to increase consumer education and
  awareness
• 20m fund responsible drinking campaign
  drinkaware.ie executed by MEAS

15
Other Initiatives

• Alcohol Advertising Content Success of CCCI
• Alcohol Advertising Placement Series of Codes
  agreed with Department of Health - AMCMB
• Alcohol Drugs Working Group
• Alcohol Advisory Group

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Conclusion

• Partnership works!
• Important that all stakeholders have a voice.
• Industry is fully committed to working with all
  stakeholders to reducing alcohol misuse.
• Alcohol misuse is a problem but together it can
  be addressed.