Lawsandregulationsaddressingtheacceptability,availabilityandaffordabilityofalcoholicbeverages Lawsandregulationsaddressingtheacceptability,availabilityandaffordabilityofalcoholicbeverages Lawsandregulationsaddressingtheacceptability,availabilityandaffordabilityofalcoholicbeverages ISBN978-92-4-010830-1(electronicversion)ISBN978-92-4-010831-8(printversion) ©WorldHealthOrganization2025 Somerightsreserved.ThisworkisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike3.0IGOlicence(CCBY-NC-SA3.0IGO;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo). Underthetermsofthislicence,youmaycopy,redistributeandadapttheworkfornon-commercialpurposes,providedtheworkisappropriatelycited,asindicatedbelow.Inanyuseofthiswork,thereshouldbenosuggestionthatWHOendorsesanyspecificorganization,productsorservices.TheuseoftheWHOlogoisnotpermitted.Ifyouadaptthework,thenyoumustlicenseyourworkunderthesameorequivalentCreativeCommonslicence.Ifyoucreateatranslationofthiswork,youshouldaddthefollowingdisclaimeralongwiththesuggestedcitation:“Thistranslationwasnotcreated bytheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO).WHOisnotresponsibleforthecontentoraccuracyofthistranslation.TheoriginalEnglisheditionshallbethebindingandauthenticedition”. AnymediationrelatingtodisputesarisingunderthelicenceshallbeconductedinaccordancewiththemediationrulesoftheWorldIntellectualPropertyOrganization(http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/mediation/rules/). Suggestedcitation.Lawsandregulationsaddressingtheacceptability,availabilityandaffordabilityofalcoholicbeverages.Geneva:WorldHealthOrganization;2025.Licence:CCBY-NC-SA3.0IGO. Cataloguing-in-Publication(CIP)data.CIPdataareavailableathttps://iris.who.int/. Sales,rightsandlicensing.TopurchaseWHOpublications,seehttps://www.who.int/publications/book-orders.Tosubmitrequestsforcommercialuseandqueriesonrightsandlicensing,seehttps://www.who.int/copyright. Third-partymaterials.Ifyouwishtoreusematerialfromthisworkthatisattributedtoathirdparty,suchastables,figuresorimages,itisyourresponsibilitytodeterminewhetherpermissionisneededforthatreuseandtoobtainpermissionfromthecopyrightholder.Theriskofclaimsresultingfrominfringementofanythird-party-ownedcomponentintheworkrestssolelywiththeuser. Generaldisclaimers.ThedesignationsemployedandthepresentationofthematerialinthispublicationdonotimplytheexpressionofanyopinionwhatsoeveronthepartofWHOconcerningthelegalstatusofanycountry,territory,cityorareaorofitsauthorities,orconcerningthedelimitationofitsfrontiersorboundaries.Dottedanddashedlinesonmapsrepresentapproximateborderlinesforwhichtheremaynotyetbefullagreement. Thementionofspecificcompaniesorofcertainmanufacturers’productsdoesnotimplythattheyareendorsedorrecommendedbyWHOinpreferencetoothersofasimilarnaturethatarenotmentioned.Errorsandomissionsexcepted,thenamesofproprietaryproductsaredistinguishedbyinitialcapitalletters. AllreasonableprecautionshavebeentakenbyWHOtoverifytheinformationcontainedinthispublication.However,thepublishedmaterialisbeingdistributedwithoutwarrantyofanykind,eitherexpressedorimplied.Theresponsibilityfortheinterpretationanduseofthemateriallieswiththereader.InnoeventshallWHObeliablefordamagesarisingfromitsuse. Contents Forewordv Prefacevi Acknowledgementsvii Abbreviationsviii Glossaryix 1.Introduction1 2.Scope,audienceandmethodologyofthepublication2 3.ExistingWHOandotherinternationalguidanceonalcohol4 4.Alcohollegislation:alawmakingprocess8 4.1Step1:Identificationoftheproblem(s)(publichealthrisksandtheircauses)9 4.2Step2:Analysisofpolicyoptionsinlightofexistinglaws,regulations andgovernancearrangements10 4.3Step3:Developmentoflegislationorregulations13 4.4Step4:Enactmentoflegislationorissuanceofregulations14 4.5Step5:Implementationoflegislationorregulations15 4.6Step6:Monitoringandevaluationofpoliciesandmonitoring andenforcementoflaws17 4.7Consultationanddueprocess18 5.Legalpowers,dutiesandrestraints21 5.1Legalpowerstolegislateorregulateconcerningalcoholicbeverages21 5.2Legaldutiesrequiringtheregulationofalcoholicbeverages22 5.2.1Preliminaryconsiderations23 5.2.2Humanrights23 5.2.3Moregeneralconstitutionalprinciplesandobjectivessupporting alcoholinterventions25 5.3Restraintsontheregulationofalcoholicbeverages27 5.3.1Restraintsgroundedinhumanrights27 5.3.2Restraintsgroundedincommerce,tradeandinvestmentobligations29 6.Addressingtheacceptabilityofalcoholthroughlawsandregulations34 6.1Legislatingcomprehensivemarketingbansandrestrictions35 6.1.1Rationale35 6.1.2Approachestolegislatingmarketingrestrictions36 6.2Regulatingalcoholicbeveragelabelling45 6.2.1Rationale46 6.2.2Approachestoregulatingalcoholicbeveragelabelling46 7.Restrictingtheavailabilityofalcohol57 7.1Regulatingproductcharacteristics(whatformsproductsmaytake)59 7.1.1Rationale59 7.1.2Approachestoregulatingproductcharacteristics59 7.2Regulatingthesaleofalcoholicbeverages61 7.2.1Rationale61 7.2.2Approachestorestrictingthesaleofalcoholicbeverages62 7.3Restrictingtheserviceofalcoholicbeverages75 7.3.1Rationale75 7.3.2Approachestorestrictingtheserviceofalcoholi