European Forum for Responsible Drinking

The European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD), the successor organisation to The Amsterdam Group (TAG) was formed by Europe's most influential spirit producers. The organisation provides support to targeted initiatives which they believe promote sensible drinking. EFRD and its member companies believe in an approach to alcohol harm reduction which focuses on individual problem drinkers rather than solutions at the population level. They share this view with most key players in the alcohol industry. They believe that the 'cultural complexity' of alcohol related issues mean that no single approach is adequate across Europe and therefore advocate a flexible approach.

Their view that "The vast majority of European adults consume alcohol responsibly and it is now widely recognised that patterns of drinking, and not simply volume of alcohol consumption, provide the best predictors of alcohol-related harm" ^[1]

This is in fact, only 'widely recognised' by the alcohol industry, most campaigners and experts without connection to the industry in fact say the opposite and advocate a population level approach with a focus on reducing availability and increasing costs. ^[2]

Members

• Bacardi-Martini
• Brown-Forman
• Diageo
• Pernod Ricard
• Moët Hennessy
• Rémy Cointreau
• V&S Group

Notes

1. ^ EFRD Web Site EFRD About us, our beliefs
2. ^Derek Rutherford (2002) The Globe, Global Alcohol Policy AllianceThe Amsterdam Group