The dissolution of the Alcohol Advisory Council: a blow for public health
Kypros Kypri, Jennie Connor, Doug Sellman
Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of premature death and disability in New Zealand. These harms are suffered disproportionately by men and Mori but there are also harms from others drinking (e.g., domestic violence) that are less well documented and more often suffered by women and children. The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC), set up in 1976 and funded with a hypothecated (i.e., earmarked) tax on alcohol, was dissolved by the Government in 2012 and replaced with the Health Promotion Agency (HPA). While still receiving the hypothecated tax revenue, the HPA is less able to express views that might offend government and to undertake or fund research evaluating alcohol policies. It is also compromised by having a leading alcohol industry figure on its Board. We propose that the tax proceeds which fund HPAs research functions go directly to the Health Research Council to fund policy-relevant alcohol research. We are pessimistic about the likelihood that HPA will contribute robustly to reducing the heavy burden of alcohol-related harm in NZ.
