Abstract
A growing body of literature suggests alcohol industry corporate social responsibility activity, including the creation of 'social aspects' organisations (SAO), may harm rather than improve public health. We aimed to explore established researcher experiences of working with SAOs, and the factors informing their decisions to do so. Qualitative interview study with senior alcohol researchers who had previous or ongoing connections to SAOs or their predecessors initiated when their careers were established (n= 16). Thematic analysis using NVivo software. Established researchers were recruited for their expertise by alcohol industry SAOs via employees who were previously academics or via academic colleagues with SAO connections. Motivated by the desire to improve public health and 'reach out' beyond academia, researchers were confident that they could maintain their independence when sharing their expertise with SAOs. Short-term connections included attendance at SAO-funded events and book chapter contributions. Sometimes, these led to long-term relationships with SAOs, or researchers were invited to long-term roles by a colleague. These included memberships of scientific advisory committees, board positions, or work as independent consultants. Most researchers reflected negatively on their experiences and had ended their associations, while some had positive experiences. Current and former researchers play key roles in initiating connections with SAOs, with industry-funded events and invitations to long-term roles by trusted colleagues, mechanisms used to facilitate the development of such relationships. Our study adds to existing evidence that SAO scientific activity does not contribute to public health goals, but does present industry with public relations opportunities.
Highlights
A growing body of literature suggests alcohol industry corporate social responsibility activity, including the creation of ‘social aspects’ organisations (SAO), may harm rather than improve public health
By exploring researcher reflections on both previous and ongoing connections to SAOs, we identify the key roles both currently established and former researchers have played in initiating and maintaining SAOresearcher connections
Of the factors informing researcher decisions to accept SAO-linked invitations, motivations to ‘reach out’ beyond academia to improve public health and the limited resources available for this are significant. These connections provide SAOs with significant public relations opportunities, helping the SAOs to present themselves as independent, public interest groups working in ‘partnership’ with public health organisations and researchers [7]
Summary
A growing body of literature suggests alcohol industry corporate social responsibility activity, including the creation of ‘social aspects’ organisations (SAO), may harm rather than improve public health. Motivated by the desire to improve public health and ‘reach out’ beyond academia, researchers were confident that they could maintain their independence when sharing their expertise with SAOs. Short-term connections included attendance at SAO-funded events and book chapter contributions. Short-term connections included attendance at SAO-funded events and book chapter contributions Sometimes, these led to long-term relationships with SAOs, or researchers were invited to long-term roles by a colleague. Public Health England partnered with the alcohol industry ‘social aspects’ organisation (SAO) Drinkaware on a ‘Drink Free Days’ campaign in 2018 [1], following a well-worn industry strategy of defining alcohol problems in terms of the minority of individuals who drink heavily, in this case daily [2]. Numerous studies, including several published subsequently, find that such initiatives may do the opposite through, for example, misinformation to the public [6,7,8]; the maintenance of social norms that support commercial, rather than public health interests [9,10,11]; and using CSR activities as forms of Received 16 December 2020; accepted for publication 30 May 2021
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