Setting the policy agenda

Abstract

Abstract This chapter begins with a brief history of alcohol policy. It then provides a global survey of policy as part of a public health strategy. It lays out the definition of alcohol policy proposed in this book, which relies heavily on concepts derived from public health, a specialized field of knowledge concerned with the management and prevention of diseases and injuries in human populations. The storyline of the book described in this chapter indicates that because alcohol is no ordinary commodity, concerted action at the local, national, and global levels will be needed to reduce the burden of disease and injury caused by alcohol.