Taking a responsible stand

A recent Panorama programme featured young people whose lives have been blighted by alcohol misuse — their stories were both shocking and sad.

The programme also questioned whether the alcohol industry has any role to play in finding solutions to the issue of misuse.

Here I argue that we do have a role to play and that it is possible to resolve the demands of business with the responsible sales and marketing of alcoholic drinks.

As MD of the UK's leading beer and cider business, I take the issue of alcohol misuse seriously. It rightly receives significant public scrutiny, and, of course, I too am painfully aware of the alcohol-related issues and harm that we as a society face.

I also believe, however, that it's wrong to demonise all alcohol consumption, be it a pint of cider after a hard day's graft or a cold beer at a family barbecue. I am proud to lead a business behind some of the UK's most admired drinks brands, and to work with people who are passionate about working in this industry.

This is why we have a duty not just to act responsibly, but to continually challenge and stretch ourselves to go further, to do more to make a real impact. And I really do believe that we, collectively, are working very hard and pushing boundaries to achieve the challenges we are set.

The alcohol industry has come a long way over the past 10 years, largely through self-regulation and the progressive raising of standards around advertising, marketing and retailing. We have seen the near-universal health-labelling of bottles and cans, significantly more stringent rules around alcohol advertising, industry-supported initiatives such as Drinkaware and Best Bar None, and the promotion of responsible drinking as an integral part of a brand's marketing plan.

But yes — there is still much to do. And to ensure we continually progress, there must be leadership from within the industry as well as constructive partnerships with all stakeholders who share the same agenda: tackling alcohol misuse.

Some members of the health community have argued that it's strange, even improper, for those who produce and sell alcohol to have any role in finding long-term, sustainable solutions to alcohol misuse. I find it hard to understand this view.

Positive contribution​

Surely it is precisely our understanding of our products that allows us to make a positive contribution.

We are able to offer the most effective platform to engage with drinkers positively via our advertising, sponsorship and the increasingly important digital domain.

The experience and skills of professional licensees and operators means they have much to contribute positively to the debate and to the solutions that we are all striving for.

The industry is sometimes characterised as faceless, unsympathetic and hell-bent on pushing its products onto an unsuspecting public. This is not the business I work for; nor is it one I recognise in our competitors or the retailers we work with daily.

Yes, it is important that we operate profitably and make returns for our shareholders, but at Heineken, we simply will not be doing this at any cost. As an example, we recently withdrew a popular and highly profitable white cider brand because it had become part of a category of drinks increasingly chosen for price and alcoholic strength alone. It no longer had a place in our business.

We must all continue to contribute to alcohol-misuse strategies, through investment, knowledge and access to consumers. And to this end, Heineken proudly joined other UK drinks producers and retailers in support of the Government's Responsibility Deal

on alcohol.

Within the Responsibility Deal, there is a common set of pledges aimed at tackling alcohol misuse, and improving awareness of safe drinking levels is a positive start.

But it is the long-term aim of the Responsibility Deal partners to provide a platform for developing education and awareness programmes and targeted activities that will truly reach and address the root causes of alcohol-related issues.

Challenge​

I think it is right and important that health professionals challenge, push, educate and influence drinks producers, and that we are 'called out' if we do not continue to make progress or fail to fulfil our promises. But equally, it would be misguided and a lost opportunity to simply lock the drinks industry out of any forum dedicated to finding solutions.

We will continue to seek and build relationships with all stakeholders who are dedicated to addressing alcohol misuse, and we will work in partnership with them to deliver positive change that we can all support.

Stefan Orlowski is managing director of Heineken UK​