These guiding principles and expectations are intended to give different stakeholders the confidence that data will be shared in a safe and transparent way.

Purpose: This portal was set up by IARD, with support from its membership of leading beer, wine, and spirits producers, in response to a request outlined in WHO’s Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030, that called for Economic Operators to share more data to inform public health research and actions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.

Premise: Safe and effective data sharing between sectors is possible and is mutually beneficial to all stakeholders. It increases understanding of the use, misuse, effects, and properties of alcohol and the relationships between alcohol, health, and society, with the aim of contributing to more effective interventions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and improve public health.

Scope: This open access data portal collates publicly available literature that uses or includes industry data, as well as data series, analyses, and methodologies accessible from market research companies at a cost. It also provides evaluations of industry-led campaigns to reduce harmful drinking and contains resources such as guiding principles, considerations, and expectations to support data and information sharing that build on existing practices employed by reputable academic journals that have published studies using private sector data. 

IARD will seek to regularly update the portal to make it as helpful as possible for users, with the ultimate aim of increasing our understanding of alcohol-related issues, improving public health, and reducing the harmful use of alcohol.

Guiding Principles for Data & Information Sharing:

1. Transparency and validation
   • All stakeholders should have confidence that data is presented or shared in a way that is as accurate, transparent, and accessible as possible. 
   • Where possible, data should be collected by independent third-party providers or other independent sources. In all cases, the origin of the data must be transparently stated and verifiable.
   • Data can be cross-validated using multiple sources or other validation mechanisms. 
2. Accessibility and use
   • Data and information sharing always adheres to relevant legal and commercial sensitivities and requirements, and meets the professional standards of all stakeholders.
   • All stakeholders agree to adhere to the highest professional and ethical standards when using data to ensure that it is accurate, and not misrepresented or inaccurately replicated, whatever the source of funding.
   • Where commercial sensitivities do not apply, resources related to data and information sharing may be hosted on a neutral platform that allows all stakeholders to feel secure when uploading, accessing, or using these resources. This platform will also clearly signpost to market research companies that collect and provide access to important data and/or other sources of data cited. 
3. Contracts and fees
   • All stakeholders understand that access to data involves costs. Public health researchers / alcohol beverage companies should develop agreements with the data provider that indicate who can receive data and under what terms, with guardrails in place to protect all parties.
   • Public health researchers / alcohol beverage companies understand that there can be various service costs associated with accessing data, dependent on the type of data, accessibility, and level of service required.