Dr Devi Sridhar comments on an international convention on alcohol control

Devi Sridhar has written a comment article in the science journal Nature (16 February) calling on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to create a legally binding convention on alcohol control, in a bid to reduce the 2.5 million deaths a year attributed to alcohol.

Arguing that the WHO has been reluctant to create legally binding conventions on health issues in the past, Devi argues for a more proactive approach. She says that the current WHO strategy is a portfolio of useful information and policy tips, not a binding document.

Devi maps out the steps that may be taken for a successful convention on alcohol control by the WHO and national governments in a manner that replicates the success convention on tobacco control.

The full article can be read here. Devis piece was also covered by Der Spiegel online (in German) here.