Alcohol Policies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Region—Challenges, Opportunities and Moving Forward

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region saw an increase in alcohol-attributable deaths attributed to the rise in consumption over the past decade. Rapid economic transition underscores the importance of understanding the multifaceted impact of alcohol consumption on society and the policies designed to mitigate its harms. This commentary discusses the challenges and opportunities of alcohol policy implementation in the ASEAN region and how policies can be leveraged to improve alcohol control. Enforcement gaps, policy loopholes and limited resources across ASEAN have resulted in inconsistent regulation of alcohol sales, advertising and sponsorship, while a thriving illicit market and fragmented data systems further undermine public health objectives. Industry interference and the absence of multisectoral collaboration have also weakened national efforts. Multisectoral and regional collaboration to strengthen effective alcohol policy implementation is warranted. Through best-practice exchanges and consolidating resources and expertise, alcohol policy challenges could be overcome by setting up an ASEAN taskforce on illicit trade, coordinated tax reforms shifting from ad valorem to specific or mixed excise, community-driven health promotion, harmonised digital marketing, enforcement, and Artificial Intelligence surveillance, and strengthened national monitoring. The goal would be to leverage the 2022 ASEAN Framework to push for a legally binding international instrument, akin to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to overcome current alcohol policy challenges. Ultimately, member states could control alcohol-related harm and advance public health across the region.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Drug and Alcohol Review
Published
2026-02-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.70127
Primary Topic
Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Alcohol Policies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Region—Challenges, Opportunities and Moving Forward

Bundit Sornpaisarn, Surasak Chaiyasong, Prof. Dr. Wah Yun Low, Hoàng Thị Mỹ Hạnh et al.
Drug and Alcohol Review
Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
article

Alcohol Policies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Region—Challenges, Opportunities and Moving Forward

Bundit Sornpaisarn, Surasak Chaiyasong, Prof. Dr. Wah Yun Low, Hoàng Thị Mỹ Hạnh, Wen Ting Tong, Gianna Gayle Herrera Amul, Nurhaliza Zakariah, Norli Abdul Jabbar, Daniela M. Correia, Polathep Vichitkunakorn, Vanphanom Sychareun, Pheak Chhoun, Sawitri Assanangkornchai, Hafsah Alwafa Zulakmal, Siyan Yi, Sok King Ong, John Robert Carabeo Medina, Kristiana Siste, Enjeline Hanafi, Noran Naqiah Hairi, Belinda Julivia Murtani, Kevin Shield, Ahmed S Hassan, Jürgen Rehm
article en

Abstract

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region saw an increase in alcohol-attributable deaths attributed to the rise in consumption over the past decade. Rapid economic transition underscores the importance of understanding the multifaceted impact of alcohol consumption on society and the policies designed to mitigate its harms. This commentary discusses the challenges and opportunities of alcohol policy implementation in the ASEAN region and how policies can be leveraged to improve alcohol control. Enforcement gaps, policy loopholes and limited resources across ASEAN have resulted in inconsistent regulation of alcohol sales, advertising and sponsorship, while a thriving illicit market and fragmented data systems further undermine public health objectives. Industry interference and the absence of multisectoral collaboration have also weakened national efforts. Multisectoral and regional collaboration to strengthen effective alcohol policy implementation is warranted. Through best-practice exchanges and consolidating resources and expertise, alcohol policy challenges could be overcome by setting up an ASEAN taskforce on illicit trade, coordinated tax reforms shifting from ad valorem to specific or mixed excise, community-driven health promotion, harmonised digital marketing, enforcement, and Artificial Intelligence surveillance, and strengthened national monitoring. The goal would be to leverage the 2022 ASEAN Framework to push for a legally binding international instrument, akin to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to overcome current alcohol policy challenges. Ultimately, member states could control alcohol-related harm and advance public health across the region.

Drug and Alcohol ReviewVol. 45(3)
Ministry of Health (MY), Mahasarakham University (TH), Western University (CA), Prince of Songkla University (TH), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA), Universität Hamburg (DE), National University of Singapore (SG), University of Toronto (CA), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (BN), Ateneo de Manila University (PH), Touro University California (US), University of Malaya (MY), World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (DK), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (DE), University of Health Sciences Vientiane (LA), National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia (MY), Public Health Ontario (CA), Health Strategy and Policy Institute (VN), National University Health System (SG), Helse Førde (NO), Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat Nasional Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo (ID), i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto (PT), University of the Philippines Manila (PH)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 40%
Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
DOISourceOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.