According to letters and an email obtained by Reuters, the Belgian beer sector, Mexican tequila producers, and Heineken all urged governments this summer to oppose a campaign by the UN health agency to enact stricter regulations aimed at alcohol.
The previously undisclosed initiatives show how the $1 trillion global beverage sector is challenging the World Health Organization’s increasingly inflexible position that there is no level of drinking that is risk-free.
The industry contests that stance. Additionally, the standoff shows how the industry is stepping up its efforts to fend off other challenges as customers who are struggling financially and becoming more health-conscious cut back on alcohol, hurting businesses’ earnings.
