The CEO Chair and Vice-Chair of IARD and IARD CEO outlined the detail of this initiative in a letter to Dr. Tedros, Director General of the World Health Organization in May 2021.
In the letter they state:
In response to the 2018 United Nations Political Declaration on NCDs and informed by recent dialogues with the WHO, we are rolling out easily understood consumer information.
Our consumers around the world will find energy and alcohol content on labels. Additionally, products containing alcohol will carry symbols or a form of words warning against drinking during pregnancy and driving while intoxicated. This builds on our commitment last year to include symbols or written age restriction reminders on our alcohol brands, including their alcohol-free extensions, to send a clear message that minors should not consume alcohol. All three warnings will appear across markets globally, and we will focus on providing this information about harmful drinking to those communities where there is no current regulatory requirement in place. Additionally, we will encourage the other producers throughout our sector to join us in taking action and helping consumers in every community to make informed decisions about whether or not to drink.
We continue to develop further actions to reduce harmful drinking, including global standards to ensure influencer marketing is transparent, does not reach minors or promote harmful drinking. Secondly, we are working alongside major retailers and e-commerce platforms across six continents to set robust standards for responsible online sales and delivery of alcohol, which will be launched shortly. We look forward to discussing this work in more detail with the WHO.
As the world continues to respond to the COVID-19 health emergency, we remain committed to playing our part in building back better and leveraging our long history of working with other sectors to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. The pandemic has reinforced the need for a whole-of-society approach, and we appreciate your leadership in championing inclusive and collective actions.
We look forward to regular dialogue with the WHO and other stakeholders to help inspire and drive our actions to accelerate reductions in the harmful use of alcohol.
Signed
Albert Baladi, Chair of IARD CEOs and President & CEO Beam Suntory
Dolf van den Brink, Vice Chair of IARD CEOs and CEO of Heineken N.V.
Henry Ashworth, President & CEO of IARD
© 2021 International Alliance for Responsible Drinking
IARD’s members and the members of its Partnership Council are a diverse group of organizations with a variety of viewpoints. They might not necessarily agree on all or any subjects. Any statements, findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed on this website do not reflect the policies or views of all IARD members or the organizations they represent, unless explicitly stated. However, all members agree on and support IARD’s mission of reducing the harmful use of alcohol.
The resources on this website are not intended as health advice to individuals about their drinking. People with specific questions about their drinking are encouraged to consult a healthcare professional. Together, they can determine what is best for that individual, based on individual risk factors, including family history, genetics, and lifestyle. For some people, the better choice may be to not drink at all.
