Partnering to curb harmful drinking across APAC
APAC’s progress toward the WHO target of a 20% reduction in harmful alcohol use by 2030 is real but uneven, with declines in mortality and morbidity offset by data gaps and rising heavy episodic drinking in several markets. The industry positions balanced regulation and targeted, evidence-based interventions—delivered through public–private partnerships—as the fastest route to scale. Priorities include tackling heavy episodic drinking, safeguarding minors, addressing unrecorded alcohol, and improving measurement to steer policy.
Points clés
- The WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022–2030 targets at least a 20% relative reduction in harmful alcohol use by 2030 versus 2010, building on the 2010 global strategy.
- Between 2010 and 2019, alcohol-attributable mortality fell 20% globally; several APAC countries (including South Korea, China, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Laos) met or exceeded target trajectories, while Cambodia and Vietnam saw increases.
- Alcohol-attributable morbidity declined 18% globally over 2010–2019, with APAC mirroring this trend, though New Zealand, Vietnam, and Cambodia recorded increases.
- Unrecorded alcohol accounts for 22% of global consumption and 37% in Southeast Asia; limited empirical data and the outsized role of heavy episodic drinking mean APC alone is a poor predictor of harm.
- China Alcohol Drinks Association’s “National Rational Drinking Awareness Week” reached 528 million people in 2024 across 516 cities and 10,854 liquor shops.
- UNITAR-linked road safety initiatives: “Wrong Side of the Road” engaged 1+ million people across five markets; “Auto-Sobriety” trained 10,000 directly and influenced 120,000 indirectly in Cambodia and Vietnam; “Power of NO” reached 40 million young adults; Taiwan’s “I Pledge” secured 1.2 million commitments since 2017.
- Underage prevention: “SMASHED” educated 650,000 youths since 2020; Japan’s “STOP! Underage Drinking” logo achieved 93.5% awareness among under-20s; in Cambodia, 85% of youth support a legal purchase age, with 73% backing 18 years.
- Tackling heavy episodic drinking: “Drink More Water” reached 53 million users in 2024; Singapore’s #HowMuchIsTooMuch reached 800,000; Korea trained 140,000 graduating students; “Savour Every Moment,” with EXO’s Suho, reached 42 million across seven APAC markets.
- Responsible marketing and retailing: Australia’s ABAC Code covers 92% of producers and 65% of retailer media spend; the Online Alcohol Sale and Delivery Code spans 85% of online transactions with 94–95% compliance; similar pledges and staff training rolled out in Hong Kong, the Philippines (7,000 PASCO members; 11 e-commerce platforms), and Vietnam.
- Unrecorded alcohol interventions: Cambodia’s unrecorded share is 48% and Vietnam’s 64%, mainly artisanal; industry–government pilots include standards for local spirits and a Ninh Binh program engaging 4,000 households to formalize production and raise risk awareness.
À retenir
Start where harm is highest: heavy episodic drinking and unrecorded booze. Back simple, boring things that work—legal purchase ages, sensible BAC limits, staff training, and real-world campaigns—because flashy slogans won’t card a teenager or stop a drunk driver. And please, measure what matters; if you can scan a QR code for takeout, you can scan one for eLabels—no PhD required, just a nudge toward moderation and better data.
Sources
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