“Alcohol is not just a personal consumption product but a development and public health issue with consequences far beyond the glass.” Johan Bengtsson
Alcohol-related harm is often described as an individual problem, something that only affects the individual who drinks too much. But the reality is different, not least in many of the countries where the IOGT-NTO movement collaborates with local organizations. Research and experiences from civil society clearly show that the consequences of alcohol greatly affect others: children, partners, family members and entire local communities.
The concept of “second-hand harm from alcohol” or the harm alcohol causes to others is particularly evident in the partner countries where the movement’s partner organizations operate. It concerns children growing up in unsafe homes where a large part of the family’s income goes to alcohol instead of food, school fees or healthcare. It concerns women who are subjected to psychological or physical violence in the home when alcohol contributes to conflicts. It concerns families who are forced into debt when livelihoods are undermined by high alcohol consumption.
In several of these countries, local organizations testify to the impact of alcohol on entire villages and city districts. Work capacity is reduced when people are unable to work regularly, agriculture and small businesses are affected, and economic development is slowed. Health care systems with limited resources are further burdened by alcohol-related injuries and accidents. In environments where social safety nets are already weak, the consequences of alcohol are therefore particularly serious.
Vulnerable groups
Children are particularly vulnerable. In the countries where the IOGT-NTO movement supports prevention work, partner organizations tell of children who are forced to take on adult responsibilities at home, drop out of school or live in constant fear due to a parent's alcohol consumption. The consequences can be long-term, with poorer school results, mental health and reduced future opportunities. The effects of alcohol do not stop with the person who drinks; they affect entire families and can hinder social development across generations.
In this respect, alcohol is comparable to smoking. Just as the work against passive smoking showed that tobacco not only harms the smoker but also those around him, the experiences of the IOGT-NTO movement's international partners show that the consequences of alcohol spread far beyond the individual. The difference is that the secondary harms of alcohol often manifest themselves in social and economic vulnerability: violence in close relationships, poverty, school dropouts and insecurity in local communities.
Who is responsible?
Despite this, the problems are often presented as a matter of “individual responsibility”. The alcohol industry’s presence and marketing is growing in several low- and middle-income countries, while regulation and oversight are often weak. When the harms are reduced to the lack of self-control of individuals, less focus is placed on accessibility, aggressive marketing and lack of legislation, which are factors that greatly influence consumption.
Experience from the tobacco field shows that when society recognised passive smoking as a public health problem, policy changed. Similarly, experience from the international work of the IOGT-NTO movement shows that preventive measures, stronger legislation and increased awareness can reduce harm not only to the individual smoker, but to entire societies.
In summary
Recognizing the secondary effects of alcohol in partner countries therefore involves an important shift in perspective: from individual choice to societal and political responsibility. Alcohol is not just a personal consumption item but a development and public health issue with consequences far beyond the glass.
