Alcohol Control vs Corporate Influence: Analyzing Alcohol Industry Commitments in Portugal’s Alcohol and Health Forum

Abstract

ABSTRACT - Even though the European Alcohol and Health Forum was disbanded in 2015 due to alleged incompatibilities of the alcohol industry's participation in alcohol policies, its Portuguese equivalent, the Alcohol and Health National Forum (Fórum Nacional Álcool e Saúde) remains active. Through this forum, alcohol industry actors have been able to submit commitments presented as genuine efforts in the fight against alcohol-related harms. This study aims to identify and describe the key areas of alcohol policy addressed in the public submissions made by alcohol industry participants within the Alcohol and Health National Forum over the course of its existence. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of the public commitments submitted by alcohol industry members within all three cycles of the Alcohol and Health National Forum using a framework adapted from Babor et al. (2022) that categorizes key alcohol policies and assesses the effectiveness of practices in alcohol control. Our findings revealed that education and persuasion activities were the most common, while the most cost-effective "best buys" measures such as alcohol taxation or comprehensive advertising bans, were absent. This paper contributes to the growing concern that the Alcohol and Health National Forum may serve primarily as a platform for corporate political activity and corporate social responsibility actions rather than as a legitimate public health platform. It also questions the role of health authorities responsible for alcohol control policies in the country, suggesting they may be supporting industry-driven agendas rather than public health.