Exclusive: Partnering with alcohol industry on public health is not okay, WHO says

The World Health Organization will not engage with the alcohol industry when developing alcohol policy or implementing public health measures, its staff have been told, and any government seeking advice from a collaboration with industry should be warned of the dangers.

The message that partnering, collaborating, taking funding, and even talking with the alcohol industry on some subjects is not acceptable has been laid out in an internal note to WHO staff.

“The public health objectives of WHO in relation to alcohol should serve as the basis for any interaction with the alcohol industry,” says the email, seen by The BMJ.

“The nature of interaction between the WHO secretariat and the alcohol industry should be limited to a …