Investing in alcohol is no longer responsible

doi:10.1136/bmj.39241.435278.3A

BMJ 2007;334:1235 (16 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39241.435278.3A

Letters

Doctors and alcohol

Investing in alcohol is no longer responsible

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

"Doctors are stalwart drinkers," says Richards, calling on doctorsto do more to tackle alcohol abuse.¹ Doctors are also stalwartinvestors and must begin to use their financial clout as shareholdersto remove alcohol from their portfolios.

Last autumn, the multinational drinks industry used its political,business, and financial lobbying muscle to subvert the EuropeanCommission's attempts to bring forward an alcohol strategy basedon public health principles.² In the past, the public healthagenda has relied solely on evidence to effect political change.This worked when elected politicians had a stronger influenceon society. The business corporations have now become biggerplayers where the measure of success is profit. Health policyhas to accommodate to this change and will have to engage shareholdersdirectly to get them to avoid alcohol at both manufacturingand the sometimes forgotten retailing levels.

Leadership is required from doctors, who are often the first. . . [Full text of this article]

Joseph M Barry, clinical professor, Tom O'Dowd, professor of general practice

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Trinity College Centre for Health Sciences, AMNCH Tallaght, Dublin 24, Republic of Ireland

joebarry@tcd.ie

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