Alcohol evidence and policy: Harm reduction strategy is triumph of spin over substance

doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7449.1202-b

BMJ 2004;328:1202 (15 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7449.1202-b

Letter

Alcohol evidence and policy

Harm reduction strategy is triumph of spin over substance

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Some years ago the Australian health ministersdecided on a policy to reduce total alcohol related harm intheir communities. One goal was to reduce the average per capitaconsumption of alcohol, the ministers having accepted that thiswas an evidence based approach. In 1990 Hawks wrote a most disturbingarticle on how this process had been hijacked by the alcoholindustry and the rest is history.¹ Last year's alcohol summitin New South Wales was a reminder that if governments leavethese problems alone they do not go away.

Now, Plant tells us, the same lobby group seems to be at workin the United Kingdom, ensuring that those most dangerous ofthe mad scientists, those who insist on an evidence base forpolicy, are put in their place.² As Marmot explains, althoughthe evidence supporting a reduction of consumption as a meansto reduce harm is . . . [Full text of this article]

Rod MacQueen, clinical director

Drug and Alcohol Service, Mid Western Area Health Service, Bloomfield Hospital, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia rod.macqueen@mwahs.nsw.gov.au