Interview: Advancing Alcohol Policy and Prevention with U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance CEO, Mike Marshall

April 2026 | Interviewed by Courtney Tull, CVA, DSocSci, Adjunct Professor, Wilmington University; Mixed Methodology Research Associate, Habitat for Humanity International; and Newsletter Contributor, National Prevention Science Coalition

Q: Could you share a bit about your path into alcohol policy and prevention work, and what led you to this field?

A: I have been in recovery for 18 years and cofounded Oregon Recovers. I recognized that we needed more funding for the treatment system and saw an opportunity to both raise money and reduce consumption among targeted groups. I was invited onto the board of directors for the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance, but we didn’t have staff until I started as CEO in early 2025. Since then, we’ve been working to build a more effect national coalition and lead the development of a stakeholder-driven national alcohol prevention strategy.

Q: For those who may not be familiar, what is the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance, and how would you describe its core mission?

A: Our primary mission is to use policy change to reduce and prevent the harms caused by alcohol. Alcohol kills twice as many people per year as opioids and is connected to gun violence, cancer rates, poverty, and crime. It is intersectional with many challenges and ever-present in day-to-day life. There are very clear policy changes that could be implemented that would quickly turn the dial to reduce these effects.

Q: What are the most effective policy changes to reduce alcohol-related harm?

A: Price is one of the most effective tools. Raising the price of alcohol reduces binge drinking and underage drinking because people are price sensitive. This usually means raising taxes on alcohol. Over twenty states have tried to raise taxes over the last 20 years, but those efforts have all been stymied by the alcohol industry. 

Binge drinking alone costs $4.8 billion in Oregon, and alcohol costs $360 billion a year to the U.S. economy.

At the same time, the alcohol industry spends billions every year promoting alcohol as part of happy relationships and everyday life, even though it is a toxic, addictive carcinogen. People don’t think about alcohol in the context of the harm it creates. They think about it in the way the alcohol industry wants them to. Alcohol imagery is ever-present in daily life, and most harm is caused by binge and casual drinking.

The goal is to use public policy to implement strategies we know work: price, accessibility, and hours of service. For example, reducing the hours alcohol is sold can reduce violent crime, particularly between 12–2 a.m. when alcohol is no longer available.

There is also a direct correlation between alcohol availability and increased crime and violence in poor neighborhoods and communities of color.

Finally, information matters. When people understand the link between alcohol and cancer, they change their behavior. There is no health benefit to drinking alcohol. When people understand its interaction with mental health and how harmful it is, they change their behavior. The alcohol industry actively fights warning labels.

Q: Can you explain the role of the alcohol industry and groups like DISCUS?

A: DISCUS represents alcohol companies, alongside the beer and wine industries. There are craft producers, international companies, and distributors—the people behind the scenes who make money distributing alcohol. The more they sell, the more they make. While there are differences among them, they are mostly aligned. When public health policies are proposed that are proven to reduce alcohol consumption, they fight them tooth and nail.

Q: How does a coalition model strengthen alcohol policy and prevention efforts compared to individual organizations working alone?

A: The alcohol industry has about 300 paid lobbyists on Capitol Hill. No single organization can match that, so we have to band together. It’s similar to recovery—there’s strength in numbers. There’s a community organizing demonstration where one stick can be broken easily, but a bundle of sticks cannot. That’s what we’re building: a stronger, unified core of public health organizations advocating for the same policies.

Q: Who are the key partners in your coalition, and how do different sectors contribute to your work?

A: Key national partners include CADCA, the American Public Health Association, and the American Cancer Society.  And we have 12 state-based organizations that are members of USAPA and with whom we work very closely to build their capacity to advance sound public health policy.

We also collaborate with the Alcohol Resource Group on campaigns like “Drink Less for Your Breasts,” which targets women ages 18–25 to raise awareness about the link between casual alcohol use and breast cancer risk. We are working to take that campaign nationally. We also work with the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins to develop solutions that address multiple issues simultaneously. 

We are also focused on expanding beyond organizations already at the table to build a larger coalition.

Q: What are the most pressing alcohol-related prevention challenges your coalition is currently focused on?

A: The most important priority is developing a national alcohol prevention strategy so that efforts are aligned. Public education and other strategies are critical. There also needs to be evaluation of what is feasible and where resources can be effectively applied. No one strategy is more important than another, but it is essential that organizations have the tools they need to act.

Q: How do you see prevention science informing or shaping policy decisions in your work right now?

A: Prevention science is central to everything we do. We need strong research to inform policy, and then we need to put that research into action. Policy should be driven by facts and science, not by industry interests and profit.

Q: As we recognize Alcohol Awareness Month, what message would you want policymakers, practitioners, and the public to take away?

A: Alcohol is extremely harmful to virtually every American family. The proven policy prescriptions for reducing that harm will have exponential effects. They will not only reduce physical harm, but also reduce gun violence, poverty, and cancer rates. Because this issue has been ignored for so long, taking action will lead to clear and immediate results.

One of the biggest challenges is that there are no national organizations funding alcohol prevention work. Many fund domestic violence or gun violence, but not alcohol-related work, often viewing it as outside their priorities. In reality, alcohol is an integral part of the issues they are trying to solve. We have a real opportunity to make meaningful change.

I would also urge people to consider attending AP2026 in October at alcoholpolicyconference.org. It’s where we put research into action, and prevention researchers who want to move their work forward should attend.