Retailers Assail 'Irresponsible' Call to Stigmatize Alc Like Tobacco

National Association of Wine Retailers responded with a sharp and detailed critique of an "irresponsible and biased" opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times calling for the social stigmatization of alcohol in the same way that tobacco waa stigmatized.

The Los Angeles Times piece noted that "on 1965, 42.4% of the U.S. population smoked. By 2022 that figure had dropped to 11.6%.

"This steep decline did not happen because of a single intervention, but through decades of accumulating scientific evidence, public education campaigns, warning labels, restrictions on advertising, smoke-free policies, higher tobacco taxes and shifts in social norms. Together, these efforts transformed smoking from a widely accepted social behavior into one broadly recognized as a major health risk and correspondingly, less socially accepted," the Times piece said.

The NAWR response, written by Tom Wark, executive director, acknowledges the Times' piece "accurately highlights the severe consequences of alcohol abuse and chemical dependency," but says "its core idea and primary recommendation—that alcohol is functionally equivalent to tobacco and should be treated as such—is so out of touch with lived experiences as well as science that it must be challenged."

Translating "legitimate concerns into an illegitimate campaign to stigmatize alcohol is an overreach unsupported by comparative data, science, and commonsense," Wark says. "Moderate alcohol consumption, which is practiced by 90% of those who drink, remains a deeply ingrained facet of human culture precisely because, for the vast majority of consumers, it is enjoyed safely, does not lead to addiction, and has minimal impact on health risks."

Wark closes by noting "True public health relies on empowering individuals with accurate, proportional data, not manipulating them through false equivalencies and orchestrated stigma. Dr. (Emma) Fenske and the Los Angeles Times should know better."

Read Wark's response here.

Why Are Major Trade Associations (Usually) Silent?

Wark's response was published July 6, four days after the Fenske's article appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

One thing bothered us about this: Why was it the Wine Retailers who defended the entire alcohol industry? Where were the Big Three supplier trade associations – Wine Institute, Beer Institute and Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.?

Former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) once said, "A charge unanswered is a charge admitted." It seems to us that all too often, anti-alcohol zealots make allegations about alcohol that seem reasonable and that go unchallenged by the Big Three supplier associations. They should keep Sen. Simpson's words in mind. And they should not rely upon reporters to call for comment; they should proactively write, post and distribute responses.