Corporate Social Responsibility

This report looks at Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) across the tobacco, alcohol, and

illicit drugs – which we refer to as the ‘addictive industries’. We also look at CSR in the high fat,

because its CSR discourses and practices share many features with the addictive industry.

societal welfare, beyond any benefits of economic activity per se,” and looks at three

place; and the impacts they have on health and addiction-related harms. The analysis is based

recorded speeches by CSR professionals; 31 documentary reports from published corporate CSR

final CSR reports from the EU Alcohol & Health Forum; and 72 interviews with drug dealers in

The report’s headline findings are that (i) the most common stated motivation for CSR activities

although some industries also reported consumer desires for healthier products; but (ii) there

social benefits. This requires us to directly examine the nature and impacts of CSR. We find (iii)

responsible consumer’. However, (iv) many CSR activities are not evaluated; those evaluations

relatively convincing evaluations show negative impacts.

do’, partly because it was seen as right to respond to societal pressure, even if it was not felt

on health/addiction-related harm, (vi) CSR activities were also claimed to be ‘the right thing to

this) – but the views about what is likely to work among CSR professionals seem to be at odds

a recommendation for policymakers based on the evidence within this report, and by linking to

the indirect impacts of CSR activities being studied in ALICE RAP Work Package 12.