Top priorities for alcohol regulators in the United States: protecting public health or the alcohol industry?

Abstract

Aims: This paper describes alcohol industry involvement in the 2010 annual conference proceedings of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) in the United States.

Design: The author attended the conference, observed conference attendees and panelists and identified key themes in the panel sessions.

Setting: The NCSLA Annual Meeting took place 20-24 June 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Participants: NCSLA meeting attendees and panelists were professionals from state alcohol control systems; federal government agencies; and companies representing the alcohol industry.

Measurements: The total number of conference attendees and participants were counted as well as the number of attendees and participants from regulator, industry and public health sectors.

Findings: More than two-thirds (72.2%) of the 187 conference attendees were from alcohol producers, importers, wholesalers, retailers or their attorneys. Nearly two-thirds (65.0%) of the 40 panelists were from the alcohol industry. The author of this paper was the only attendee, and the only panelist, representing public health policy.

Conclusions: The National Conference of State Liquor Administrators in the United States is dominated by the global companies that produce, import, distribute and sell alcohol, highlighting a lack of public health considerations within the Association's liquor control agenda [corrected].