SEO Riders:
– RDI calls for sharper wording on alcohol harm in UN’s NCDs and mental health declaration
- – Group wants “alcohol harm” over vague “harmful use,” plus WHO SAFER policies included**
- – Proposal targets alcohol industry interference and reinstates critical taxation goals
- The Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI)—part of the global Movendi International network—has written to Nigeria’s UN delegation urging them to champion stronger, evidence-based language on alcohol harm in the UN Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. RDI argues that current draft wording dilutes previously agreed-upon ambitions and falls short in addressing alcohol’s proven impact on public health.
- RDI proposes six targeted enhancements to bolster the declaration’s effectiveness:
- 1. Replace “harmful use of alcohol” with the clearer terms “alcohol harm” or “per capita alcohol consumption.”
- 2. Retain “best buys” on alcohol control (availability restrictions and advertising bans) and reinstate missing SAFER interventions—specifically alcohol screening, brief interventions, and measures against driving under the influence.
3. Explicitly include alcohol screening and brief interventions within the declaration’s treatment and prevention strategies.
4. Restore the 80% taxation target for alcohol and tobacco.
5. Introduce language acknowledging—and protecting against—alcohol industry interference.
6. Align the declaration with the Global Alcohol Action Plan, emphasizing accelerated action on alcohol policy.
Philip Jakpor, RDI’s Executive Director, stated that Nigeria’s delegation has a pivotal opportunity to shape the declaration so it truly reflects scientific evidence and global commitments. Strengthening these elements, he asserted, will significantly advance prevention efforts, safeguard public health, and reinforce the right to well-being for all.
