[Regulatory policies on alcohol in Spain. Experience-based public health? 2008 SESPAS Report]. / Políticas de regulación del alcohol en España: salud pública basada en la experiencia? Informe SESPAS 2008.

The present article reviews the proposal for alcohol regulation made in Spain in 2006 by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs and dropped a few months later as adverse positions took over the debate in the political arena and the media. The background to these regulations, as well as their components, the process, and the actors involved are analyzed, and the factors leading to this outcome are discussed. A comparison is made with the tobacco regulation initiative in 2005, which resulted in a regulatory law with a highly favorable impact on public health. The actors interested in promoting alcohol consumption and opposed to any regulation have a privileged institutional presence, generating powerful resistance. Although these regulatory proposals would have marginal impacts on their trade, wine growers and wineries have been the most visible forces against regulation and have had the greatest political and media impact. Equally, manipulated messages on the health benefits of alcohol use have fed arguments against regulation. The lack of political and media consensus in this case stands in contrast with the tobacco regulation process, in which a certain political consensus had previously been reached and the smoking prevention movement had permeated the media with preventive messages, framing the issue in terms favorable for regulation. To gain ground, the sectors interested in expanding public policies for the prevention of the harm caused by alcohol need greater cohesion and organization. Professional public health organizations can substantially contribute to this field.

Políticas de regulación del alcohol en España: ¿salud pública basada en la experiencia? Informe SESPAS 2008 / Regulatory policies on alcohol in Spain. Experience-based public health? 2008 SESPAS Report

Se revisa el proceso seguido por la propuesta de regulación del alcohol en España planteada desde el Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo en 2006, y abandonada unos meses después tras dominar las posiciones adversas el debate político y mediático. Se analizan los antecedentes de la regulación, los componentes de la propuesta, el proceso y los actores que intervinieron, valorando los factores que han contribuido a este desenlace. Se realiza también una comparación con la trayectoria de la iniciativa de regulación del tabaco planteada en 2005 y que resultó en una ley reguladora de impacto muy favorable en la salud pública. Se aprecia que los actores interesados en fomentar el consumo de alcohol y contrarios a toda regulación tienen una interlocución política privilegiada en la esfera institucional, que puede generar resistencias poderosas. Pese a que las propuestas de regulación les afectarían sólo marginalmente, los sectores viticultores y bodegueros han sido las fuerzas más visibles en contra de la regulación y con mayor eco político y social. Por otra parte, los mensajes manipulados sobre el efecto beneficioso del consumo han servido para nutrir el argumentario opuesto a la regulación. La falta de consenso mediático y político contrasta en este caso con la experiencia de regulación del tabaco, donde se había alcanzado antes un cierto consenso político transversal, y la labor del movimiento de prevención había incrementado los mensajes preventivos en los medios, consiguiendo una formulación del problema en términos apropiados para su regulación. Los sectores interesados en ampliar las políticas públicas preventivas del daño que causa el alcohol precisan una mayor cohesión y organización para avanzar. Las organizaciones profesionales de salud pública pueden hacer importantes contribuciones en este campo

The present article reviews the proposal for alcohol regulation made in Spain in 2006 by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs and dropped a few months later as adverse positions took over the debate in the political arena and the media. The background to these regulations, as well as their components, the process, and the actors involved are analyzed, and the factors leading to this outcome are discussed. A comparison is made with the tobacco regulation initiative in 2005, which resulted in a regulatory law with a highly favorable impact on public health. The actors interested in promoting alcohol consumption and opposed to any regulation have a privileged institutional presence, generating powerful resistance. Although these regulatory proposals would have marginal impacts on their trade, wine growers and wineries have been the most visible forces against regulation and have had the greatest political and media impact. Equally, manipulated messages on the health benefits of alcohol use have fed arguments against regulation. The lack of political and media consensus in this case stands in contrast with the tobacco regulation process, in which a certain political consensus had previously been reached and the smoking prevention movement had permeated the media with preventive messages, framing the issue in terms favorable for regulation. To gain ground, the sectors interested in expanding public policies for the prevention of the harm caused by alcohol need greater cohesion and organization. Professional public health organizations can substantially contribute to this field (AU)

Políticas de regulación del alcohol en España: ¿salud pública basada en la experiencia? Informe SESPAS 2008 / Regulatory policies on alcohol in Spain. Experience-based public health? 2008 SESPAS Report

Se revisa el proceso seguido por la propuesta de regulacióndel alcohol en España planteada desde el Ministerio de Sanidady Consumo en 2006, y abandonada unos meses despuéstras dominar las posiciones adversas el debate político y mediático.Se analizan los antecedentes de la regulación, los componentesde la propuesta, el proceso y los actores que intervinieron,valorando los factores que han contribuido a este desenlace. Serealiza también una comparación con la trayectoria de la iniciativade regulación del tabaco planteada en 2005 y que resultóen una ley reguladora de impacto muy favorable en la salud pública.Se aprecia que los actores interesados en fomentar el consumode alcohol y contrarios a toda regulación tienen una interlocuciónpolítica privilegiada en la esfera institucional, que puedegenerar resistencias poderosas. Pese a que las propuestas deregulación les afectarían sólo marginalmente, los sectores viticultoresy bodegueros han sido las fuerzas más visibles en contrade la regulación y con mayor eco político y social. Por otraparte, los mensajes manipulados sobre el efecto beneficioso delconsumo han servido para nutrir el argumentario opuesto a laregulación. La falta de consenso mediático y político contrastaen este caso con la experiencia de regulación del tabaco, dondese había alcanzado antes un cierto consenso político transversal,y la labor del movimiento de prevención había incrementadolos mensajes preventivos en los medios, consiguiendo unaformulación del problema en términos apropiados para su regulación.Los sectores interesados en ampliar las políticas públicaspreventivas del daño que causa el alcohol precisan unamayor cohesión y organización para avanzar. Las organizacionesprofesionales de salud pública pueden hacer importantes contribucionesen este campo(AU)

The present article reviews the proposal for alcohol regulationmade in Spain in 2006 by the Ministry of Health and ConsumerAffairs and dropped a few months later as adverse positionstook over the debate in the political arena and the media.The background to these regulations, as well as their components,the process, and the actors involved are analyzed,and the factors leading to this outcome are discussed. A comparisonis made with the tobacco regulation initiative in 2005,which resulted in a regulatory law with a highly favorable impacton public health. The actors interested in promoting alcoholconsumption and opposed to any regulation have a privilegedinstitutional presence, generating powerful resistance.Although these regulatory proposals would have marginal impactson their trade, wine growers and wineries have been themost visible forces against regulation and have had the greatestpolitical and media impact. Equally, manipulated messageson the health benefits of alcohol use have fed argumentsagainst regulation. The lack of political and media consensusin this case stands in contrast with the tobacco regulation process,in which a certain political consensus had previously beenreached and the smoking prevention movement had permeatedthe media with preventive messages, framing the issuein terms favorable for regulation. To gain ground, the sectorsinterested in expanding public policies for the prevention of theharm caused by alcohol need greater cohesion and organization.Professional public health organizations can substantiallycontribute to this field(AU)

[Who is against prevention? A map of policy actors favoring smoking in Spain]. / ¿Quién se opone a la prevención? Un mapa de los actores pro tabaco en España.

OBJECTIVES: For a comprehensive approach to policies on smoking, the map of actors related to tobacco and their political ties needs to be identified. The present article constitutes the first attempt at this task in Spain. METHODOLOGY: Analysis of the press, industry publications, and interviews with key people. Active actors favoring smoking in Spain were identified and classified according to their characteristics, the sphere in which they act, and their preferred territorial arena. RESULTS: We identified tobacco companies (Altadis and Philip Morris dominate the market), tobacco trade organizations (tobacconists), front-line organizations created by the tobacco industry (The Smokers for Tolerance Club), organizations of tobacco growers, and processing companies. Distribution to retailers is dominated by Logista, owned by Altadis. Other sectors to take into account are vending companies and those manufacturing related products (cigarette paper, matches or lighters). The contacts of these actors with the public administration are reviewed, notable among which are the role of the Commissioner for the Tobacco Market, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Economy. Ties were also found with employers' organizations, some political parties, and unions, as well as with other sectors with social influence such as the media and advertising sectors. CONCLUSIONS: The map of actors favoring smoking in Spain is complex and goes beyond the confines of the tobacco industry. Understanding this web is crucial to promoting comprehensive prevention policies.

¿Quién se opone a la prevención? Un mapa de los actores pro tabaco en España / Who is against prevention? A map of policy actors favoring smoking in Spain

Objetivos: Para poder realizar un abordaje integral de las políticas referidas al tabaquismo hay que conocer el mapa de los actores relacionados con el tabaco y sus vínculos políticos. En este trabajo se pretende presentar una primera aproximación en España. Métodos: Análisis de la prensa, publicaciones de la industria y entrevistas con personas clave. Se identifican los actores pro tabaco activos en España, que se han podido clasificar según su naturaleza, la esfera en que se mueven y su ámbito territorial preferente. Resultados: Se identifican las empresas tabaqueras, entre las que destacan Altadis y Philip Morris por su dominio del mercado, las organizaciones del comercio minorista (estanqueros), las organizaciones «pantalla» creadas por la industria (Club de Fumadores por la Tolerancia), las de cultivadores y las empresas de transformación. La distribución está dominada por Logista, filial de Altadis. Hay que tener en cuenta también las empresas de vending y de productos complementarios (mecheros, fósforos y papel). Se (..) (AU)

Objectives: For a comprehensive approach to policies on smoking, the map of actors related to tobacco and their political ties needs to be identified. The present article constitutes the first attempt at this task in Spain. Methodology: Analysis of the press, industry publications, and interviews with key people. Active actors favoring smoking in Spain were identified and classified according to their characteristics, the sphere in which they act, and their preferred territorial arena. Results: We identified tobacco companies (Altadis and Philip Morris dominate the market), tobacco trade organizations (tobacconists), front-line organizations created by the tobacco industry (The Smokers for Tolerance Club), organizations of tobacco growers, and processing companies. Distribution to retailers is dominated by Logista, owned by Altadis. Other (..) (AU)