FOR YOUR INFORMATION
We share below a number of recent developments. As always, we rely on FIVS Members to apprise us of noteworthy matters. Please contact the FIVS Secretariat with items that may be of interest.
South Africa: SALBA appoints new chair – As South African Liquor Brand owners Association CEO Kurt Moore notes, the appointment of Pamela Nkuna at the organisation’s new chairperson comes at a crucial point as South Africa begins to rebuild the country in a post-pandemic world, adding that her regulatory experience and work to reduce harmful consumption will be critical to the industry. You can read her interview here.
United States: WineAmerica commends FIVS on sustainability leadership – As the United Nations climate change conference winds up in Glasgow, the President of WineAmerica notes that sustainable practices have been advancing throughout the wine sector over recent years and commends FIVS for its global leadership in supporting the overall economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the alcohol beverage industry.
China: Dozens of state-affiliated outlets highlight government crackdown on alcohol – Over the weekend of 12-14 November 2021, dozens of Chinese state media outlets posted warnings regarding social and business drinking. The publications served as reminders that civil courts can hold individuals legally accountable for failing to escort an inebriated companion to safety or to send them to a hospital if necessary; persuading someone to drink while knowing they have an alcohol allergy or alcohol-adverse condition; and failing to stop an intoxicated person from driving. These headlines follow several high-profile drink driving cases that captured nationwide attention. A behavioral science professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business believes the government clampdown also stems from concern about business drinking, where employees and managers build relationships with clients or one another by consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.
World Health Organisation
Global: Authors say WHO violates FENSA principles by meeting with alcohol sector – An article in the International Journal of Health Policy and Management concludes that the WHO violated the principles of the WHO’s Framework for Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA) during its consultations with the alcohol industry on global alcohol policy development, including the draft action plan to strengthen implementation of the Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. Authors June YY Leung and Sally Casswell urge WHO member states to ensure that the WHO is held accountable for appropriate and consistent safeguards against industry interference in the development of global alcohol policy.
Argentina: WHO declares support for new zero BAC limit bill – The Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) issued a statement supporting enactment of Argentina’s Zero Alcohol Driving Act, an initiative developed and promoted by the National Road Safety Agency that would establish a national limit of zero blood alcohol for driving.
Drink driving
United States: Congress mandates technology in new cars as soon as 2026 to stop drink driving – The $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Biden on 15 November 2021 reportedly includes a mandate requiring automakers to install warning systems in all new cars that would passively monitor the driver’s performance and prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if an impairment is detected. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must issue a final rule for the safety devices within three years, allowing the mandate to take effect as early as 2026.
- Mandate raises privacy concerns – The legislative mandate, however, reportedly lacks language to address concerns regarding false positives and negatives, privacy, data security, and protection of civil liberties. Automakers are reportedly seeking to address those concerns by meeting or exceeding the industry’s Consumer Privacy Protection Principles.
Global: Growing traction during COP26 for use of lighter wine bottles – Support for wineries using lighter bottles to reduce the wine sector’s carbon footprint gained traction during the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. A petition – which was reportedly endorsed by 300 wine producers, writers, and consumers – calls on wineries to include bottle weight on tech sheets, encourages wine writers to include bottle weight in their wine reviews, and calls upon the sector to campaign for effective glass recycling. Glass bottles reportedly account for 29% of wine’s carbon footprint — the single biggest factor — according to a study commissioned in 2011 by the Wine Institute. Earlier this year, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario announced that it will no longer purchase wines packaged in bottles weighing more than 420 grams, or 14.8 ounces, beginning in 2023 for wines priced below 15 Canadian dollars, and will consider bottle weight in all wine purchases.
South Korea: 2,844 intoxicated drivers found as COVID restrictions eased – During the first full week since South Korea began easing COVID-19 restrictions, police found 2,091 people driving while intoxicated with blood alcohol content levels high enough to have their licenses revoked and 753 drivers with levels warranting license suspensions. Under this first phase of South Korea’s “living with COVID-19” scheme, authorities have adopted a “vaccine pass” system, allowing individuals who are fully vaccinated or have a negative test result to enter nightlife establishments, which may now stay open until midnight.
NOTE: We make no warranty of any kind regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information in these FIVS Alerts; nor do we necessarily support or agree with views expressed or contained therein.