Policy Forum Industry Use of Evidence to Influence Alcohol Policy: A Case Study of Submissions to the 2008 Scottish Government Consultation

Like tobacco, alcohol is responsible for approximately 4% of the global burden of disease [1]. A range of policy options have
developed in response to growing concerns about the scale of the problems caused by alcohol. In the international research
literature there is broad consensus that measures to raise the price of alcohol and control its availability, along with restric-
tions on marketing activities, are the most effective measures [2–5]. These whole-population approaches involve reducing
aggregate consumption at the population level. Conversely, there is little evidence for the effectiveness of some widely used
approaches such as school-based education [5].

journal.pmed.1001431.pdf