Public health policy on alcohol is changing in many countries. This article reviews public health messages with regard to alcohol in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) and highlights the common as well as the different messages delineated. The messages from these four countries are then compared with those of certain other developed and developing countries. Some of the significant differences include definitions of moderate alcohol consumption, the consumption of alcohol by women, underage consumption, and advice to abstainers, which may reflect differences in the characteristics of consumers among countries. Central to the current debate is the concern that incomplete, inconsistent or misleading messages on alcohol consumption could lead to an increase in alcohol abuse, misuse and hence harm, or, conversely, to abstention by particular population groups.
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