...responsible
beer consumption
fits a positive
lifestyle...
COMPANY
ALCOHOL POLICY
RESPONSIBILITY
IS KEY
Heineken's Executive Board approved the revised Company
Alcohol Policy at the end of last year. Heineken's alcohol policy
is founded on the firm belief that responsible beer consumption
fits a positive lifestyle. Its objective is to uphold the legitimacy
of the products and company and safeguard commercial freedom.
New elements were added and the overall statements were
tightened up.
Most consumers enjoy Heineken products in a responsible way.
But a minority of consumers are not able to handle the products
responsibly and may cause harm to themselves or to others.
The negative effects in society trigger counter-measures and give
rise to the debate about who is responsible. To what extent can
the producer be held responsible for the negative effects of the
use of products that contain alcohol?
In past years most reactions of health organisations and govern
ments to alcohol-related harm were in line with the control
theory, which is based on the presumption that curbing total
consumption will lead to the curbing of harmful consumption. The
traditional government interventions along these lines are to
raise prices by increasing excise duties and restricting
distribution, advertising and promotion possibilities. The industry
made the point that it is more important to study patterns of
drinking behaviour in order to identify real problems and
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