Alcoholic Beverages: Dimensions of Corporate Power

For most of the post-war period, alcohol problems have been viewed primarily as individual problems. More recently, research has highlighted the importance of larger socio-economic factors in shaping drinking levels, patterns and problems. However, it has hitherto largely ignored a paramount force which shapes this larger socio-economic environment: the modern multinational corporation. The aim of this book is to demonstrate, on the basis of historical analysis, that transnational corporate structures and marketing strategies exercise a powerful impact on the availability and consumption of alcoholic beverages in both developed and developing marketing economies. While the authors would not therefore want to suggest a single causal relationship between corporate strategies and the consumption of alcoholic beverages, the implications of their work are of the greatest significance to public health throughout the world. The book will be an indispensable work for those interested in public health, alcoholism, and multinational business.