Unrecognized Catalyst to Development: The Neglected Role of Alcohol Policy in the Americas’ Sustainable Development Goal Progress

Objective: In 2015, 193 nations adopted the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Alcohol was included as a specific focus in target 3.5 (substance abuse), highlighting its relevance in the global development agenda. It is also recognized as a cross-cutting issue and a barrier to achieving several SDGs. We aimed to examine in this research how countries in the Americas reported on alcohol use, alcohol-related harms, and alcohol policy measures in their efforts to meet the SDGs. Method: We conducted a content analysis of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) presented at the UN High-Level Political Forum between 2016 and 2022. Results: Our sample included 54 documents from 32 countries. More than half (57%) of the reports from 21 countries made reference to alcohol. Most of these references appeared under SDG 3, especially target 3.5. Only six countries referred to alcohol as a cross-cutting issue. Conclusions: Reducing alcohol consumption - a leading cause of death and disability in the Americas - was not frequently acknowledged in the VNRs. Many countries may be missing an opportunity to highlight their efforts. More likely, however, they fail to recognize alcohol as a critical public health issue that must be addressed to achieve the SDGs.