Healthy is as healthy does: Where will a voluntary code get us on international alcohol control?

摘要

With the coming into force of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), alcohol became the main widely-used psychoactive substance not covered by an international agreement on controlling the market. While tobacco has its own treaty, other such substances are covered by three international drug control treaties. Yet, there is a good argument that it is for alcohol that the strongest case for such international controls exists. This is not only because of the burden on the drinking individual, reflected in the high rank of alcohol among risk factors in the global burden of disease, but also because of the harm to others caused by drinking, which about equals the harms to the drinker [1]. In all rankings of the intrinsic harmfulness of substances, alcohol ranks highly [2]. When harm to others is taken into account, it ranks highest [3].