New analysis exposes pattern of misleading claims used to block health policy and protect profits
A new report by IAS and Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems reveals that alcohol industry bodies in the UK systematically misled the public and policymakers throughout 2024, downplaying rising levels of harm while presenting themselves as responsible actors.
The report – Spin the bottle: How the UK alcohol industry twists the facts on harm and responsibility – analysed over 140 public communications from six leading alcohol companies and industry-funded groups. It uncovers a coordinated strategy of cherry-picking evidence, exaggerating economic importance, and promoting voluntary measures while lobbying against effective regulation.
Despite deaths from alcohol being at record highs, the industry frequently claimed trends were “going in the right direction”. Industry groups cherry-picked data on positive trends such as a decline in youth drinking and took credit for the decline.
We found a clear pattern of alcohol industry groups seeking to appear responsible while simultaneously causing harm and obstructing the very policies that evidence shows would save lives,” said report author Emma Thompson, University of Edinburgh. “Policymakers must act based on the full picture, rather than following misleading narratives that position the alcohol industry as ‘part of the solution’ to the harm it causes.
Trade bodies also described themselves as the “backbone” of the UK economy and warned of job losses if health-focused policies like price increases or marketing restrictions were introduced. Yet the report notes that alcohol harm costs over £27 billion in England alone every year, while many industry jobs are low paid. Industry groups also repeatedly argued that the industry is overtaxed and on the brink of collapse, yet Diageo made $6 billion in profit in 2024, making it one of the most profitable companies in the country.
It is shocking to see how much alcohol industry groups claimed to be doing to support health and prosperity while simultaneously creating so much harm,” said Dr Katherine Severi, Chief Executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies. “This highlights how crucial it is that policymakers are guided by public health not private profit and misinformation. It is no coincidence that deaths have almost doubled in 20 years during a period of aggressive industry lobbying and governments failing to tackle the problem effectively.
Many groups also engaged in greenwashing – boasting of environmental credentials while lobbying against environmental measures. Diageo launched an ‘ultra-light’ version of Johnny Walker in 2024, to show-off its sustainability efforts. However, only 888 of the bottles were made and cost £1,000 each. Meanwhile, the Scotch Whisky Association positioned itself as protecting peatlands while lobbying the Scottish Government to make whisky exempt from a ban of the use of peat.
This report lays bare the shameful tactics of the alcohol industry and its attempts to mislead the public about its contribution to public health, the economy and the environment,” said Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, Chair of SHAAP. “It’s time people are told the truth about the many harms caused by alcohol, but we know that the industry engages in intense lobbying to ensure this doesn’t happen. It’s up to politicians to take a stand and refuse to allow the industry to shape public policy.
Key recommendations to the government include:
- Acknowledge the essential conflict of interest between alcohol industry economic objectives and public health goals.
- Establish good governance processes that promote transparency and protect health-focused policymaking from alcohol industry interference.
- Put communities first: pay attention to community-level harms, which disproportionately impact the most vulnerable and worsen inequalities.
- Focus on the three policy measures to tackle alcohol harm for which there is the strongest evidence, as identified by WHO as ‘best buys’.