Overview and Principles

Purpose: The World Health Organization’s Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 called for Economic Operators to share more data to inform public health research and actions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. This portal is part of IARD’s evolving response to the request to ease interested stakeholders’ access to information. 
 
IARD will host the portal and intends to periodically update links to external sources of data as part of its continuing efforts to support the WHO’s Global Information System on Alcohol and Health. The portal may also provide links to external databases and limited examples of research and evaluations of industry programmes and initiatives to reduce harmful drinking.
 
The information on the portal is not intended to be and should not be relied on as a comprehensive source of information about the alcohol industry, alcohol and health or efforts to reduce harmful drinking. 
 
Individuals with questions about alcohol and their own health should not rely on this Portal and 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.

Premise: Safe and effective data sharing between sectors is possible and is mutually beneficial to all stakeholders. It increases understanding of the use, misuse, effects, and properties of alcohol and the relationships between alcohol, health, and society, with the aim of contributing to more effective interventions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and improve public health.

Scope: This portal provides tools and information on accessing publicly available data, the availability of subscription data, and other resources to guide researchers as to existing guidelines, contracts and standards that journals and academics use to ensure the publication of transparent and trustworthy research. Note that IARD does not collect and cannot share confidential commercial data of its Members.

Guiding principles for data and information sharing

These guiding principles and expectations are intended to give stakeholders the confidence that data will be shared in a safe and transparent way. They were developed collaboratively through a number of multistakeholder dialogues with participants from the private sector, academia, and civil society in 2022-2023.

1. Transparency and validation

   • All stakeholders should have confidence that data is presented or shared in a way that is as accurate, transparent, and accessible as possible. 

   • Where possible, data should be collected by independent third-party providers or other independent sources. In all cases, the origin of the data must be transparently stated and verifiable.

   • Data can be cross-validated using multiple sources or other validation mechanisms. 

2. Accessibility and use

   • Data and information sharing always adheres to relevant legal and commercial sensitivities and requirements, and meets the professional standards of all stakeholders.

   • All stakeholders agree to adhere to the highest professional and ethical standards when using data to ensure that it is accurate, and not misrepresented or inaccurately replicated, whatever the source of funding.

   • Where commercial sensitivities do not apply, resources related to data and information sharing may be hosted on a neutral platform that allows all stakeholders to feel secure when uploading, accessing, or using these resources. This platform will also clearly signpost to market research companies that collect and provide access to important data and/or other sources of data cited. 

3. Contracts and fees

   • All stakeholders understand that access to data involves costs. Public health researchers / alcohol beverage companies should develop agreements with the data provider that indicate who can receive data and under what terms, with guardrails in place to protect all parties.

   • Public health researchers / alcohol beverage companies understand that there can be various service costs associated with accessing data, dependent on the type of data, accessibility, and level of service required.