For most of the post-war period, alcohol problems had been viewed primarily as individual problems. During the 1970s and 1980s, research highlighted the importance of larger socio-economic factors in shaping drinking levels, patterns and problems. However, it largely ignored a paramount force which shaped this larger socio-economic environment: the modern multinational corporation.

The aim of this book, originally published in 1985, was to demonstrate, on the basis of historical analysis, that transnational corporate structures and marketing strategies exercised a powerful impact on the availability and consumption of alcoholic beverages in both developed and developing marketing economies. While the authors did not want to suggest a single causal relationship between corporate strategies and the consumption of alcoholic beverages, the implications of their work were of the greatest significance to public health throughout the world. The book was an indispensable work for those interested in public health, alcoholism, and multinational business at the time. Today it can be read in its historical context.