Alcohol lobbyists given input on health policies, documents reveal
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Booze industry lobbyists have been granted input into the development of alcohol policies, including how to deal with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Documents obtained by RNZ also show that references to a review of safe drinking guidelines were removed from an Health New Zealand website after an alcohol lobbyist complained to Ross Bell, a manager with the Ministry of Health's Public Health Agency.
The papers, released under the Official Information Act and sent anonymously to RNZ, show the booze industry has been given input into several government initiatives to tackle alcohol harm.
An October 2024 email from New Zealand Winegrowers to Bell, which copies in a lobbyist with the spirits industry, shows the extent to which alcohol lobbyists are involved in the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) strategy.
"Appreciate the link to the speech and FASD initiatives," the wine industry lobbyist says. "We'd be interested in discussing the opportunity for industry engagement in the refresh of the action plan, as we were involved in the development of the initial plan."
FASD affects about 1800 babies a year in New Zealand. The alcohol industry fought a 20 year battle against product labels warning pregnant women not to drink, before they finally became compulsory in 2023.
The documents also show that the alcohol industry has input into how the Ministry of Health spends the alcohol levy, a ring-fenced fund of $16.6 million, used to support alcohol harm reduction measures.
Bell emailed lobbyists with the wine and beer industries in November 2024, giving them information about the alcohol levy process and calling for their input.
"Following consultation and Ministerial approval we intend to have the framework finalised and published in the first part of next year to inform the next levy setting process. Let me know any questions, otherwise, thank you in advance for your input."
Ross Bell, a manager with the Ministry of Health's Public Health Agency.
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RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
The documents show lobbyists from the beer, wine and spirits industries also secured a meeting with health officials on "the development of New Zealand's position" at a United Nations meeting.
"At the same time we would be happy to update you on the conversations our industry bodies are having at the international level," a lobbyist for the wine industry wrote in an October 2024 email.
Health Coalition Aotearoa spokesman Steve Randerson said it was wrong to give the alcohol industry input on FASD, the alcohol levy framework and New Zealand's stance on UN strategies for reducing alcohol harm.
"There is a fundamental conflict of interest underlying alcohol industry input to the government on such issues, given most alcohol harm only reduces if we drink less, and alcohol sales drop," Randerson said.
"When it comes to alcohol, our most harmful drug, we believe New Zealanders and policy officials dealing with alcohol harm should have real protection from alcohol industry lobbying."
The papers also show that references to a review of safe drinking guidelines were removed from a Health New Zealand website after complaints from a booze lobbyist.
Safe drinking guidelines are a sensitive issue for the alcohol industry as evidence emerges that even moderate amounts of alcohol can lead to health issues.
The New Zealand safe drinking guidelines set the limit at 15 standard drinks a week for men and ten for women - much higher than Australia.
In 2020 Australia lowered its safe drinking guidelines from a maximum of 14 drinks a week to ten drinks a week for both men and women.
A lobbyist with the Brewers Association emailed Ross Bell in October 2024 asking why the alcohol.org.nz website, run by Health New Zealand, was reporting that the safe drinking guidelines were under review.
Bell investigated and then replied that he had told Health New Zealand it wasn't their responsibility and that it had now paused the review.
"They had thought that a refresh of the guidelines was in order. I've advised them that it's the Ministry's responsibility to lead on any technical/clinical public health guidelines, so they are pausing that specific piece of work on the guidelines," Bell told the Brewers' Association.
"A refresh of the guidelines is not on our current alcohol levy-related work programme, which is something we would need to agree with relevant ministers anyway. I'll let you know at future meetings if this changes."
The New Zealand safe drinking guidelines set the limit at 15 standard drinks a week for men and ten for women.
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123RF
A month later the Brewers Association lobbyist emailed Bell again, asking why references to a review of safe drinking guidelines were still on the website.
"It was raised with me by one of our stakeholders that the alcohol.org.nz website which hosts the NZ guidelines is still stating that they are under review. Given what you have noted below I was wondering why this was still stated as the case online."
Bell responded the next day but much of the email has been redacted by the Ministry of Health, using a section of the OIA which protects "the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown and officials".
It's not clear how this section of the OIA can be used to protect an exchange between an alcohol lobbyist and the Public Health Agency but the sections that are released show Bell is receptive to the industry's concerns.
"On the guidelines - I am hoping the HNZ website will be updated within the next day or so. I'll try to keep an eye on that," he told the Brewers Association.
In a statement to RNZ, Bell confirmed that material was removed from the website.
"Reference to the drinking guidelines review was removed from the alcohol.org.nz website to avoid confusion about roles and responsibilities as the guidelines are now led by the Ministry of Health - rather than Health New Zealand who own the alcohol.org.nz site. This was an internal Ministry decision."
He said work had been done on the review of safe drinking guidelines but was now on hold while the Ministry of Health considered its priorities.
Randerson said policies to reduce alcohol harm should be protected from "commercial and other vested interests that can interfere with and undermine public health objectives".
He said the alcohol industry "paints itself as a legitimate partner while employing certain tactics in its policy advice" which focus on individual responsibility rather than regulating the marketing, price and supply.
Randerson said a poll commissioned by Health Coalition Aotearoa and the Cancer Society showed 71 percent of New Zealanders felt the alcohol industry should not be involved in developing policy on alcohol.
But Bell said the Public Health Agency needed to engage with the alcohol industry on issues such as the FASD action plan and how to spend the alcohol levy.
"The FASD action plan includes activities funded by the levy on the alcohol industry, and the framework sets out criteria for how the levy is spent," Bell said. "Development of the action plan and levy framework are intended to ensure levy funding is invested where it will have the biggest impact in addressing alcohol harms affecting the lives of New Zealanders."
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