Author Emma Thompson, University of Edinburgh , June 2025
This study was commissioned by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) and Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP). Thanks to Professor Mark Petticrew (LSHTM) for reviewing this report.
Spin the bottle: How the UK alcohol industry twists the facts on harm and responsibility
- Industry claim: Alcohol makes major contributions to the UK economy
Evidence shows: Alcohol harm costs the UK economy much more than alcohol sales bring in. Most jobs in the sector are lower paid. While claiming to be a decent employer, the alcohol industry pushed back against new employment rights for workers as well as threatening to cut jobs in response.
2. Industry claim: The sector is overtaxed and on the brink of collapse
Evidence shows: Changes in alcohol duty resulted in similar receipts in 2023-24 to the year prior, despite industry claims that HMRC lost billions of pounds. Alcohol taxation remains one of the most effective ways of reducing harm and inequalities. Far from collapsing, Diageo made over $6 billion in profit in 2024.
3. Industry claim: Alcohol harm is ‘going in the right direction’, so further policy is unnecessary
Evidence shows: Alcohol deaths are at an all-time high in the UK, yet the alcohol industry largely ignored this and cherry-picked selective topics to celebrate. Increasing price, restricting advertising and limiting the physical availability of alcohol are ‘best buy’ policy measures with the strongest evidence base – yet the industry claims a lack of evidence.
4. Industry claim: ‘Responsible drinking’ and no- and low-alcohol products will reduce harm
Evidence shows: ‘Responsible drinking’ campaigns do not work and may be harmful. The alcohol industry is behaving irresponsibly by undermining health policy and promoting misleading information. Industry marketing documents suggest that no- and low-alcohol products are not intended to replace full-strength products, undermining claims about them as a solution to harm.
5. Industry claim: Alcohol is key to communities
Evidence shows: Despite claiming to speak on behalf of pubs and local communities, the BBPA lobbies against policies supported by publicans and minimises community-level alcohol harms.
6. Industry claim: Alcohol producers are contributing to a more diverse and inclusive world
Evidence shows: Alcohol companies like Diageo are deliberately targeting women and LGBTQ+ people and making gestures of support and allyship. Both groups experience distinct and significant harms related to alcohol.
7. Industry claim: The UK alcohol industry is committed to environmental sustainability
Evidence shows: The alcohol industry lobbied against policies to reduce packaging waste and protect peatlands while claiming to be at the forefront of sustainability. Diageo has been reprimanded for not properly reporting its own emissions and its environmental efforts are often based on vague and unproven technologies. This might align more with greenwashing.
8. Industry claim: Organisations funded by alcohol companies are independent and have a role to play in tackling alcohol harm
Evidence shows: Organisations such as Drinkaware receive most of their funding from the alcohol industry. In 2024, Drinkaware repeatedly worked with alcohol brands and shared information that appeared to serve its funders’ interests more closely than those of the public.
9. Industry claim: The UK alcohol industry is part of the solution to harm
Evidence shows: There is a fundamental conflict of interest between the goals of the alcohol industry and the mission to reduce alcohol harm. We found evidence that the UK alcohol industry is engaging in a series of problematic partnerships to ‘educate’ people – including children – about alcohol harm using misleading, industry-produced materials.