Public perceptions and alcohol policies: Six case studies that examine trends and interactions

摘要

There are several factors other than public opinion that contribute to the selection, implementation and modification of alcohol policies. These include the desire by governments to generate revenue or reduce slippage of sales to adjacent jurisdictions; pressures from vested interests, such as alcohol producers or retailers, to streamline regulations or increase access to alcohol; public health and safety advocacy (e.g. campaigns to control drinking and driving); and deregulation, such as privatising alcohol retailing, driven by ideological perspectives. Their relative and combined impact is not well charted, and neither are their interactions with public opinion. Proponents both of greater access and of controls on availability may claim that public opinion is on their side.