Alcohol Policies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Region-Challenges, Opportunities and Moving Forward

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region saw an increase in alcohol-attributable deaths attributed to the rise in consumption over the past decade. Rapid economic transition underscores the importance of understanding the multifaceted impact of alcohol consumption on society and the policies designed to mitigate its harms. This commentary discusses the challenges and opportunities of alcohol policy implementation in the ASEAN region and how policies can be leveraged to improve alcohol control. Enforcement gaps, policy loopholes and limited resources across ASEAN have resulted in inconsistent regulation of alcohol sales, advertising and sponsorship, while a thriving illicit market and fragmented data systems further undermine public health objectives. Industry interference and the absence of multisectoral collaboration have also weakened national efforts. Multisectoral and regional collaboration to strengthen effective alcohol policy implementation is warranted. Through best-practice exchanges and consolidating resources and expertise, alcohol policy challenges could be overcome by setting up an ASEAN taskforce on illicit trade, coordinated tax reforms shifting from ad valorem to specific or mixed excise, community-driven health promotion, harmonised digital marketing, enforcement, and Artificial Intelligence surveillance, and strengthened national monitoring. The goal would be to leverage the 2022 ASEAN Framework to push for a legally binding international instrument, akin to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to overcome current alcohol policy challenges. Ultimately, member states could control alcohol-related harm and advance public health across the region.