The New Prohibition Heads to the U.N.
And the Resistance is nipping at its heels
Tomorrow, September 25, a meeting at the United Nations as part of its annual General Assembly could have a profound impact on global policies concerning alcohol consumption, taxation and availability.
Think of it as a global version of the U.S. dietary guidelines: The fourth High Level Meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being is expected to issue a revised policy declaration that governments can use to justify new taxes, restrictions and warning labels, Felicity Carter reports in The Drinks Insider.
The most recent declaration, from 2005, warned of “harmful use of alcohol” as a contributor to disease and mental health issues. This became the basis of a U.N. public health strategy adopted in 2010. But in 2023, the World Health Organization, a U.N. body, adopted the New Prohibition argument that there is “no safe level” of alcohol consumption, and it wants the global body as a whole to endorse this new language.
This may not be an all-out “light the fires of Gondor” situation, but to have the international community of nations — even such as it is these days — adopt the “no safe level” mantra would be a major step toward upending decades of public health efforts focusing on moderate, responsible consumption of alcohol. As Carter emphasizes:
Temperance lobbyists are now targeting the phrase “harmful use”, because it suggests there is harmless use; they want alcohol seen as harmful from the first drop.
It seems like a small thing, but if they were to win the language battle, countries would have a much easier time in mandating cancer warning labels and restrictions on availability.
Luckily, The Resistance will be at the U.N. this week, too, in the form of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, a London-based, U.N.-recognized NGO largely funded by alcohol producers that advocates for — well, just what its name suggests.
In her article and a related podcast, Carter interviews Julian Braithwaite, a former British diplomat who is now CEO of IARD. Braithwaite argues that the current focus on “harmful use” is working — citing WHO data that alcohol-related deaths as a percentage of all non-communicable disease-related deaths declined 20 percent from 2010-2019.
Of course, multilateral declarations of this sort are negotiated over time, not just at the U.N. General Assembly, and Carter notes hopefully that revisions to the draft document made in the months leading up to this week’s meeting have retained the “harmful use” phrase and removed some of the harsher recommendations favored by the WHO.
Other Resistance voices are chiming in as well. On his website, Jasper Morris MW posted a statement by the Académie Internationale du Vin that was sent this month to delegates to the U.N. meeting opposing the WHO recommendations and “the danger of reducing wine to a mere health risk, thereby forgetting its cultural, social and human dimension.”
The Académie has about 100 members in 20 countries, and is headed by Véronique Sanders of Château Haut-Bailly and Guillaume d’Angerville of Domaine Marquis d’Angerville. “Denormalizing wine” — which Morris defined as “taking something out of normally accepted behavior in society” — would destroy a cultural heritage and part of our humanity, the statement argued.
Wine embodies eight millennia of human history: it is a catalyst for conviviality, joy and sharing; a connection to the land and its landscapes; a universal language linking people ... Unique yet global, it expresses mankind’s patience before time, humility before the earth, and the desire to celebrate together. Offering a glass of wine is a gesture that expresses peace, friendship, brotherhood, and the joy of being together.
Enjoying wine moderately is to defend the culture of taste and restraint, and perpetuate a bond that unites continents, people and generations. It is about appreciating rather than abusing, tasting rather than drinking. It is about approaching health through social and family ties, mental well-being and the joy of life – for the link between happiness and health is undeniable.
And as an example of individual efforts underway to influence the U.N. deliberations, I attended a tasting yesterday at Argentina’s embassy in Washington, D.C., where Dr. Laura Catena presented a vertical of Catena Zapata wines. She noted that Ambassador Alejandro Oxenford was at the U.N. General Assembly, adding that she had urged him to “protect Argentina’s wine heritage” in this week’s negotiations.
Further reading on The New Prohibition:
The New Prohibition, Part 2
Last week, I wrote about The New Prohibition, my name for the rising tide of anti-alcohol messaging designed to shift the discussion of alcohol and health from responsible moderation to total abstinence. Today, I want to examine the key tenet of this movement — the mantra that “there is no safe level of alcohol” — from an unusual perspective.
The Resistance is Here
Last weekend, two articles published online shed light on the situation wine lovers face with what I’ve called The New Prohibition — the effort by anti-alcohol forces to change our public policy discussion from moderate, responsible drinking to abstinence and potentially prohibition. One article carried the force of a sledgehammer, while the other was t…
Are we the new anti-vaxxers?
Years ago, I jokingly referred to natural wine advocates as the “anti-vaxxers of wine.” My wife cringed and urged me not to say that, and I honestly can’t remember if I ever uttered the phrase in public. I’m pretty sure I never put it in print, until now. My argument: The natural wine movement rejected science, rejected Louis Pasteur’s conclusions about…
Is The New Prohibition Winning?
A new Gallup poll released this week shows the percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest since Gallup starting asking the question in 1939.
Understood that it's part of disturbing trend, but it presupposes that someone takes the U.N. seriously anymore.