Global Alcohol Strategy

The Drug Foundation strongly supports the development of a Global Alcohol Strategy by the WHO and member states. 

The Drug Foundation also believes that the Global Alcohol Strategy will be most effective if it:

• involves NGOs and civil society – NGOs and civil society have developed significantly in the past two decades and now provide well-organized networks of researchers, advocates, interested communities and others that will provide solid ‘grass-roots’ for the Global Alcohol Strategy.
• is evidence and research based – the Global Alcohol Strategy will not be well placed to support member states to address alcohol related harm if there are political compromises in terms of the evidence and research used and the conclusions drawn from this. 

Is a strong, possibly binding, framework – as noted earlier in this submission providing a framework for the Global Alcohol Strategy similar to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control or the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the three related conventions on illegal drugs will provide a strong basis for individual member states to take the action needed to address alcohol related harm and will provide them with the solid support from the WHO that comes with such a framework.