A Drink Best Not Served: Conflicts of Interests When the Alcohol Industry Seeks To Inform Public Health Practice and Policy

Abstract

The inherent contrast between the priorities of public health and the goals of for-profit companies becomes overwhelmingly obvious when examining the -public health- efforts/policies for-profit industries support and oppose. The purpose of this commentary is to highlight the divergent goals of public health and for-profit industry, as well as the risks associated with collaboration between public health and for-profit entities. Ongoing alcohol industry-supported endeavors, such as wait-staff training, alcohol education programs, and promotional advertising, are presented as heuristic examples. By collaborating with the alcohol industry, public health officials and organizations become more willing to compromise standards and adopt values of the industry, and less likely to oppose values, operations, and products of the industry. The heuristic examples provided make overwhelmingly clear, advertising, partnerships, and program involvement by the alcohol industry are only intended to sell more alcohol.