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Ethics in the Alcohol Also by Simon J. Robinson , BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS (with Ross Dixon and Krisen Moodley) ETHICS FOR LIVING AND WORKING (editor) SPIRITUALITY, ETHICS AND CARE Ethics in the Alcohol Industry

Simon J. Robinson and Alexandra J. Kenyon © Simon J. Robinson and Alexandra J. Kenyon 2009 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2009 978-0-230-21988-5 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2009 PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-30537-7 ISBN 978-0-230-25058-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9780230250581 This is printed on paper suitable for and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. , pulping and processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Robinson, Simon, 1951– Ethics in the alcohol industry / Simon J. Robinson and Alexandra J. Kenyon. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-349-30537-7 (alk. paper) 1. Alcoholic beverage industry—Moral and ethical aspects. 2. Drinking of alcoholic beverages—Social aspects. 3. Social responsibility of business. I. Kenyon, Alexandra J., 1966– II. Title HD9350.5.R63 2009 174’96631—dc22 2009013634 10987654321 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 Contents

List of Tables, Figures and Boxes viii Preface x Acknowledgements xii List of Abbreviations xiii

Introduction 1

1 History of Alcohol, Values and Legislation 8 Introduction 8 The beginnings – did bring about social cohesion? 8 From the Norman Conquest to the early 1700s 10 The epidemic – the realization of addiction 13 The Beer Act 1830 and the growth of the 16 Changing drinking habits during the World Wars 20 Conclusion 22

2 Social Responsibilities and the Alcohol Industry 23 Introduction 23 A global view 24 Is alcohol a burden on the world’s population? 26 European alcohol strategy 33 Commentary on the European strategy 40 Alcohol harm reduction strategy for England 41 Safe, sensible and secure 44 Conclusion 48

3 Advertising and Alcohol 49 Introduction 49 regulations across the world 50 Enforcement or self-regulation? 54 Alcohol and advertising: government strategy for England and Wales 59 British Code of Advertising Practice 60 Alcohol advertising spend 64

v vi Contents

Sponsorship 71 Government information advertisements 72 Conclusion 74 Appendix 3.1: BCAP TV Advertising Standard Code 75

4 Ethics and Alcohol 78 The ethics of public policy 78 The stewardship model 81 Critique and development 85 Responsibility 90 Corporate virtues 92 No ordinary ? 94 The alcohol industry and conflict of interest 95 The responsibility of the alcohol industry 98 Conclusion 101

5 Young People, Social Scene and Popular Culture 103 Introduction 103 Europe 105 Alcohol in the mind and in the body 108 Communicating with young people 109 Binge drinking, drinking to get drunk and extreme drinking 113 Popular culture and celebrities 116 Moral development 117 Conclusion 118

6 Religion and Alcohol 119 Background 119 Judaism and Christianity 120 Later Christianity 130 Islam 132 Bacchus 138 Conclusion 138

7 Addiction and Ethics 140 Defining 140 Responsibility 147 Imputability 148 Alcoholics Anonymous 155 Conclusion 163 Contents vii

8 Ethics and Alcohol in the Twenty-first Century 165 Corporate responsibility 165 Stakeholder theory, ethics and social responsibility 169 The alcohol industry 172 Responsibilities 175 Ethics and responsibility 178 Conclusion 184

References 186 Index 198 List of Tables, Figures and Boxes

Tables

2.1 International BAC limits mg/ml 36 2.2 Standard alcohol units, worldwide 39 2.3 Example of variation of units, by country 39 2.4 EU beer duty rates 40 3.1 Alcohol advertising policies of France, Poland and the UK 57 3.2 Alcohol Advertising Standard Codes Amendments, 2005 65 3.3 Advertising spend, 2004 68 3.4 by value, 2004 69 3.5 Magners’ advertising spend 70

Figures

2.1 HM Revenue and Customs Revenue 2007–08 (£ million) (provisional) 24 2.2 Burden of disease attributable to selected leading risk factors, DALYs in each sub-region (%), 2000 27 2.3 Burden of disease attributable to alcohol, various countries 28 2.4 World deaths attributable to selected leading risk factors, 2000 29 2.5 The numbers affected by alcohol-related harm and how much it costs 30 2.6 Per capita alcohol consumption in selected European and other countries (litres of pure alcohol per inhabitant) among adults from 15-years-old 34 3.1 EU public response to the banning of alcohol advertising 53 3.2 Banning alcohol advertising, by country 53

Boxes

2.1 Best None by Far 46 3.1 Complaints about alcohol advertisements 61 3.2 Alcohol advertising winning awards and our hearts 66

viii List of Tables, Figures and Boxes ix

3.3 You wouldn’t want to start a night like this so why end it that way (male version) 74 4.1 Brown-Forman 87 5.1 Talk to Frank 110 5.2 BII Schools Project – how the UK alcohol industry gets involved 112 7.1 The original twelve Steps, as published by Alcoholics Anonymous 156 8.1 ‘Alcohol and Responsibility’ – Westminster Health Forum Key Note Seminar 179 Preface

I was brought up in a Yorkshire village in the 1950s. Church, chapel, pri- mary school and cricket club kept the village alive and gave the villagers shared meaning, and alcohol did not play a huge part. There was the occasional excess, but a village of less than 2,000 people meant complete transparency, and anything out of the ordinary was soon spotted. On the whole, people preferred not to be spotted. Alcohol was not frowned upon. It simply did not figure that much in a place where you had to be careful with your money and did not have time to get drunk. In my first profession – psychiatric social work – alcohol was at the centre of life. We sat in groups twice a day, each session lasting one-and-a-half hours, each reflecting on the effect of alcohol in the lives of patients, and what they would replace the empty bottle with. Alcohol here was a matter of life and death, and I remember to this day an animated conversation with a very articulate man, who had become a friend, about the effect of alcohol on his liver. The next week he was dead. In this book, we hope that the reflections on alcohol, and the ethical issues that surround it, will be more than merely an academic con- versation. The aim is to focus on the meaning that alcohol makes for individuals and communities and, beneath that, on ethical identity and the importance of responsibility for all concerned with alcohol. The first man to help me see something about responsibility and community lived close to me in that first Yorkshire village – my grandfather, Hardy Rhodes. Joiner, undertaker, builder, choirmaster, organist and maths lecturer, he has influenced many of my attempts to develop responsibility even to this day. It is to his memory that I dedicate this book.

Advent 2008 SIMON ROBINSON

I have lived in, worked for and researched the licensed and alcohol industry for many years. My first job was as a waitress in a gastro and I enjoyed the convivial atmosphere, the banter and the camaraderie – so much so that I kept returning to it, working in local boozers and pre- club bars. When I changed careers and moved to a new town, I needed to establish a social network with fun loving people: what better place to do that than in a pub, after work on a Friday night. have a long history of being happy, welcoming spaces where communities are

x Preface xi brought together, friendships are formed, loved ones are found and lost ones mourned. When the values of community spirit, friendship and warmth are at the forefront, and alcohol secondary, a wonderful evening can be shared. I dedicate this book to my husband Steve (who I met in a pub), and Kelly, Lynn and Kevin, with whom I have shared many memorable times.

Advent 2008 ALEXANDRA J. KENYON Acknowledgements

We thank the following for advice and for permission to reproduce material:

The Advertising Standards Authority The British Beer & Pub Association Professor Cary L. Cooper, CBE Pro-Vice-Chancellor (External Relations), Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health, Lancaster Eurobarometer The Cabinet Office: Reduction Strategy for England The European Advertising Standards Alliance Brussels The International Center for Alcohol Policies The Stationery Office (TSO) The World Health

For his support and advice, we would like to extend our thanks to Pro- fessor Cary L. Cooper, CBE, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (External Relations), Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health, Lan- caster University. Our thanks also go to the Cabinet Office for permission to present Figure 2.5, and the European Advertising Standards Alliance, Brussels, for Tables 2.2 and 3.1. The Cabinet Office, the European Advertising Standards Alliance, Brussels, and the International Center for Alcohol Policies have also been the sources for general information referred to in the text.

For the and artwork of the front cover to this volume, we gratefully acknowledge Toby Montague BA (Hons), Graphic Arts and Design Stu- dent at Leeds Metropolitan University, with the support of the Facilitator of Design Ian Truelove, Principal Lecturer, Leeds School of Contemporary Art and Graphic Design, Leeds Metropolitan University.

xii List of Abbreviations

AA Alcoholics Anonymous ABV alcohol by volume ADS all-day session AHRSE Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England ASA Advertising Standards Authority BAC blood alcohol concentration BACC broadcaster compliance team BACP Committee of Advertising Practice (broadcast) CAP Committee of Advertising Practice (non-broadcast) CR corporate responsibility CSR corporate social responsibility DALY disability adjusted life DHSS Department of Health and Social DISCUS Distilled Spirits Council for the United States DSM Diagnostic and Statistical Manual EESC European Economic and Social Committee EFRD European Forum for Responsible Drinking EGTA European Group on Advertising IAS Institute of Alcohol Studies IBLF International Business Leaders Forum ICAP International Center for Alcohol Policies ICD International Classification of Diseases NGO non-governmental organization NHS National Health Ofcom Office of Communications PHSE personal, health and social education PND penalty notice for disorder SHT stakeholder theory YFJ European Youth Forum YLD number of years a person has physical or mental disability, or poor health (known as ‘years lost’) YLL potential life-span of a person that has prematurely been cut short

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