We recommend that the World Health Assembly request the Director General to begin the process of investigating the need for – and feasibility of – a global legally-binding instrument to reduce alcohol-related harm. This process needs to be accompanied by enough resources to inform and equip Member States with the necessary technical public health background. The Framework Convention for Tobacco Control took 10 years to develop and implement, so this is likely a long-term process.10 The softer approach of two global strategies targeting alcohol-related harm has been tried; it is time to explore more effective avenues of global action.
