Top priorities for alcohol regulators in the United States: protecting public health or the alcohol industry?

Abstract

This paper describes alcohol industry involvement in the 2010 annual conference proceedings of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) in the United States. The author attended the conference, observed conference attendees and panelists and identified key themes in the panel sessions. The NCSLA Annual Meeting took place 20-24 June 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NCSLA meeting attendees and panelists were professionals from state alcohol control systems; federal government agencies; and companies representing the alcohol industry. The total number of conference attendees and participants were counted as well as the number of attendees and participants from regulator, industry and public health sectors. More than two-thirds (72.2%) of the 187 conference attendees were from alcohol producers, importers, wholesalers, retailers or their attorneys. Nearly two-thirds (65.0%) of the 40 panelists were from the alcohol industry. The author of this paper was the only attendee, and the only panelist, representing public health policy. The National Conference of State Liquor Administrators in the United States is dominated by the global companies that produce, import, distribute and sell alcohol, highlighting a lack of public health considerations within the Association's liquor control agenda [corrected].