Key Recent Milestones:
· Vietnam: The Vietnam Beer Alcohol Beverage Association (VBA) and The International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) launched a marketing code for wine and spirits in Vietnam with a ceremony on March 20 in Hanoi. View photos from the event.
· United States: The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) held its Global Marketing Conference in New York, New York. The conference brought together leaders in the global and US advertiser community, including speakers from A-B InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, L'Oreal, Unilever and Luta. Click here for more information.
Global Actions in Focus: Progress in Russia
In March, ICAP held a Master Class in Moscow for industry stakeholders from Russia and Ukraine as part of its effort to build capacity across the alcohol industry.
“The master class was an opportunity for ICAP to work on capacity building for industry, discuss what industry can do to support the WHO global strategy, ICAP’s initiative around drinking and driving being undertaken with an NGO in Russia called Social Projects, and to highlight ICAP’s current work on noncommercial alcohol in nine countries, including Russia,” said ICAP’s Senior Vice President Marjana Martinic.
Unrecorded alcohol accounts for a significant portion of the overall volume of alcohol beverages consumed in Russia, particularly in small towns and rural areas. The problem of harmful drinking is widespread in Russia. Global Actions’ pilot study looked at sale procedures, product quality, consumption patterns, and related health and social consequences.
“Given Russia’s regional diversity and the specific features that unrecorded alcohol exhibits in different local contexts, we are now in the process of expanding the scope of our research agenda,” said ICAP’s Guillermo Cantor. “In this new stage, we are focusing our attention on external factors that drive the production and consumption of illicit alcohol.”
In addition to the pilot study executive summary, Russian translations have been completed of several ICAP documents. The Dublin Principles, ICAP Toolkit on Evaluation, and Quick Reference Guide to the ICAP Blue Book are now available in Russian.
What’s Happening Next:
· The European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) March 2012 advertising self-regulation workshop will be held on March 28. Sponsors include the International Center for Alcohol Policies. Click here for more details.
· Vietnam: On April 27 in Hanoi, Global Actions Vietnam will hold a seminar to present results of the first noncommercial alcohol study.
