London: The global alcohol industry is intensifying its efforts to challenge the World Health Organization’s (WHO) warnings on the health risks of alcohol consumption. Leading companies, including Heineken, Belgian brewers, and Mexican tequila producers, have lobbied governments to soften or remove stricter regulations proposed under a U.N.-backed agreement influenced by the WHO.

The WHO has emphasized that no level of alcohol consumption is risk-free, citing research linking alcohol to cancer and other serious health conditions. In contrast, the alcohol industry argues that moderate drinking carries low health risks and provides social benefits, advocating for policies that distinguish between moderate and harmful consumption.

As a result of industry lobbying, certain provisions in th

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