© Photo credit: WHO/Soudaphone Viravongsa.

Protecting youth and public health from alcohol marketing: Time to put people over profits

In Laos, festivals, community gatherings and sporting events play a central role in bringing people together. When alcohol brands sponsor such occasions—plastering logos at youth sporting or cultural events—they normalise drinking and associate it with health, success, and celebration. This is particularly concerning in a country where nearly 60 percent of the population is under the age of 25.
Alcohol-related harm is on the rise. According to the Statistics Yearbook 2024 from the Lao Statistics Bureau, in 2024 alone, nearly 7,000 road crashes were recorded in Laos, resulting inclose to 1,000 deaths and more than 10,000 injuries—drink driving was a major factor. Alcohol consumption contributes to rising rates of chronic diseases and even crime, adding to social costs. Youth drinking is increasing, raising alarms about long-term impacts on public health. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) data in 2024, the alarming reality that over one-third of adolescents in Laos are current drinkers—with two-thirds of them engaging in heavy episodic drinking—reveals a critical gap in youth protection that threatens the nation’s future health. When an alcohol company sponsors sports events and concerts in places frequented by children and adolescents, it signals that drinking is a normal part of having fun or achieving success. This undermines health education efforts and encourages underage drinking.
Another worrying trend is alcohol industry “corporate social responsibility” (CSR) programmes that blur public health and commercial interests. When alcohol companies fund road safety campaigns or community projects, these activities can enhance corporate image and brand positioning while potentially undermining independent public health messaging and regulatory integrity. A recent memorandum of understanding between a major alcohol producer and law enforcement agencies, for instance, may result in beer branding appearing on official safety materials—raising legitimate concerns about conflicts of interest and regulatory coherence, while potentially prioritising brand visibility over meaningful action on alcohol-related harm.
Lao legal framework already prohibits such practices. The Law on Alcoholic Beverage Control (2014) explicitly bans direct and indirect promotion of alcohol, including sponsorships and branded merchandise. This foundation was reinforced by a 2019 notice from the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism and a December 2025 notice from the Ministry of Health, both emphasising that public health campaigns must remain free from industry influence. Moreover, the National Assembly’s 2024 resolution to revise the alcohol law demonstrates high-level commitment to closing enforcement gaps and addressing new marketing tactics. These are commendable steps that now require effective action on the ground.
The WHO has consistently highlighted the risks of alcohol marketing. The WHO’s Global Alcohol Action Plan (2022–2030) and SAFER initiative call for comprehensive bans on alcohol advertising, sponsorship, and promotion, along with restricting alcohol availability measures and higher alcohol taxes, and other evidence-based alcohol control measures. Global evidence shows that restricting alcohol marketing reduces underage drinking and related harms. For example, after Lithuania introduced a comprehensive ban on alcohol advertising and sponsorship, adolescent intoxication fell by 35percent, with significant declines also observed in binge drinking and overall alcohol use among young people. Alcohol excise tax is a win-win strategy—reducing alcohol consumption and related harms—especially among youth—while at the same time providing additional government revenues for national priorities such as health and education programmes.
Thailand’s experience illustrates one possible policy approach to strengthening alcohol control. Recent reforms tightened restrictions on alcohol advertising, sponsorship, and branded corporate social responsibility activities, including in digital spaces. Importantly, Thailand also introduced a sustainable financing mechanism through a small surcharge on alcohol and tobacco taxes, supporting an independent health promotion fund. While national contexts differ, this experience highlights how strong regulation and independent funding can help protect public health without reliance on industry support.
Laos has made meaningful progress, but further measures are necessary to ensure that public health is prioritised over commercial interests. The forthcoming revision of the Law on Alcohol Beverage Control presents a critical opportunity to:
• Close loopholes – explicitly ban all forms of alcohol advertising, promotion and sponsorship across all media and sectors, including so-called “corporate social responsibility” activities and digital marketing.
• Strengthen enforcement – equip regulatory authorities with adequate resources and impose higher penalties to deter violations.
• Secure independent funding – increase alcohol excise taxes and allocate a portion of the revenue to national priorities such as noncommunicable disease prevention, road safety, and cultural programming, rather than depending on industry donations.
 Lawmakers can close the remaining gaps by clearly banning all forms of alcohol advertising, promotion and sponsorship (including those disguised as CSR), backed by strong enforcement. Civil society groups, youth organisations, educators, and parents must also play a proactive role in advocating for stronger protections and in fostering a culture that values health and well-being over commercial gain. Public events and celebrations should be platforms for unity, inspiration, and healthy living—not as vehicles for promoting harmful products.
Laos’ future depends on the health and well-being of its young people. The experience of other countries shows that decisive action, backed by strong enforcement and public support, can quickly reduce alcohol-related harm. Enforcing our laws and dispelling the myth of “harmless” alcohol marketing will send a clear message: public health comes first, and alcohol industry influence has no place in our schools, sports, or safety campaigns. The choices we make now will shape our nation’s well-being for years to come. It is time to put people over profits. Let us protect our youth, not promote alcohol.
 Author: Dr Timothy Armstrong, WHO Representative to Laos.

 (Latest Update July 3, 2026)