Welcome to the United Nations
Alcohol is a major obstacle to development, adversely affecting 14 of 17 SDGs and all aspects of sustainable development. Therefore, SDG 3.5 addresses the need for prevention, treatment and recovery interventions to tackle alcohol harm and in this way foster well-being and development for all.
The products and practices of the alcohol industry cause massive and disproportionate harm to younger, poorer, and socio-economically more disadvantaged people and groups. Evidence shows that from a social development and equality perspective there is an urgent need to develop alcohol prevention solutions.
This innovative side event was designed to discuss the lessons learned from trailblazing innovators to show how digital technology helps people and communities overcome alcohol problems, builds community and becomes a platform for broader social activism.
Kristina Sperkova, in setting the scene:
Social development is about investing in people and removing barriers for people reaching their full potential. But the harm caused by the products and practices of the alcohol industry pose a massive barrier to social development. At the same time, alcohol prevention solutions are a catalyst for advancing social development and well-being for all - increasingly also digital solutions.
Maristela Monteiro:
Alcohol harm is pervasive around the world and is reaching into all aspects of society. The costs of the harm far exceed the economic revenue of the alcohol trade. But so far, progress on best practice alcohol policy implementation is lacking. For women in the Pan-American region, for instance, the levels of alcohol use disorder are the highest in the world, meaning a massive and increasing health and development issue. This shows that there is a huge need to invest in and improve services for people with alcohol problems - but the gap between supply of services and demand for help is vast. This is a serious problem for progress towards social development and greater social inclusion.
Elizabeth Mattfeld:
Knowledge is not enough for prevention; more needs to be done to foster behavior change and to transform risk factors into protective factors. UNODC’s LISTEN FIRST initiative is in this context an important innovation using digital technology to empower parents and to promote social development.
Adrian Njenga explained how the products and practices of the alcohol industry do impede development, including across areas such as housing, education, food security, manufacturing and health. In the case of Kenya, comprehensive #AlcoholPrevention is key to reach the SDGs. For instance, more than 10% of the adult population in Kenya has an alcohol use disorder; this affects the people, their families, communities, workplaces and overall society negatively and is a massive obstacle to social development, the #SDGs and economic prosperity. And it is only one aspect of pervasive alcohol harm. The coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need and urgency of addressing #AlcoholHarms and to leverage digital technology for both prevention AND brief interventions, treatment and recovery facilitation.
The role of digital technology and innovation to foster social development through addressing alcohol harm: https://twitter.com/Movendi_Int/status/1359974203563405312/photo/1
Richard Piper made a crucial point:
Alcohol harm is caused by society not just by “individual choice". Alcohol harm is a social justice issue. Interventions that promote behavior change need to change environments.
The Dry January campaign and the Try Dry app is a uniquely successful example of digital technology to help promote health, social inclusion, development and even active citizenship. https://twitter.com/Movendi_Int/status/1359975901757325317
Richard Piper also explained how addressing alcohol harm promotes #SocialDevelopment on the basis of their success with Dry January, including mobilizing grass-roots activists for alcohol policy.
Concluding the successful and inspiring event, Kristina Sperkova examined the critical importance to mainstream #AlcoholPolicy considerations into discussion on #SocialDevelopment because of the huge social justice dimension of alcohol harm.
“From Kenya to the UK to all regions, alcohol impedes people living up to their fullest potential. It’s one of the biggest obstacles to social development, and yet remains largely overlooked.”
The event succeeded with its purpose to promote fresh approaches, innovative ideas, compelling new narratives about social development and well-being, from the vantage point of tackling alcohol harm, and to make effective solutions more widely available.