Alcohol brands told to encourage responsible drinking to avoid ad ban
Alcohol brands have been encouraged to help clamp-down on binge-drinking if they want to avoid a total ban on drink ads.
The government is already considering a new set of guidelines for alcohol advertising, including a 9pm watershed for TV ads and mandatory health warnings.
A Health Select Committee’s report claims that self-regulation of the drinks industry is failing in its duties to consumers, particularly digital advertising and sponsorship.
As such, Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley, who helped to collate the report on alcohol policy, warned that a complete ban on drink ads could be introduced to appease health campaigners, who continue to highlight the risks of binge-drinking.
Last year, the British Medical Association called for a total ban on alcohol advertising, including sports events and music festival sponsorship, following the release of its ‘Under the Influence’ report.
At the time, Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of BMA Science and Ethics, said people are drinking more because society is “awash with pro-alcohol messaging and marketing”.
Gidley believes if drink brands do not take action and send out more positive messages soon, the government will be forced to enforce a total ad ban, which could cost the advertiser-funded UK media industry in excess of £180 million, according to Nielsen.
The BMA report claimed that brand development and stakeholder marketing by the drink industry has served the needs of the alcohol industry, not public health.
Professor Gerard Hastings, author of the report, said: “Given the alcohol industry spends £800 million a year in promoting alcohol in the UK, it is no surprise that children and young people see it everywhere – on TV, in magazines, on billboards, as part of music festivals or football sponsorship deals, on internet pop-ups and on social networking sites.
“All these promotional activities serve to normalise alcohol as an essential part of every day life. It is no surprise that young people are drawn to alcohol.”
In response to the BMA’s report, the industry said a ban on alcohol advertising would have a “devastating” impact on TV, newspaper and magazine advertising.
Chairman of the Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP) Clive Mishon said: “Yet again we are seeing calls to ‘ban’ alcohol marketing, which frankly achieves nothing in terms of addressing the bigger issue of educating people to drink responsibly. There has been prohibition before in the drinks industry – and that failed. Prohibition of marketing in the drinks industry is similarly ill conceived.
“The ISP represents many brands and agencies involved in the promotion of alcohol and we believe that steps do need to be taken to address cheap alcohol. Price promotion is not in the interest of either our members or the brands that they promote. It is a retailer-led activity and does not add value to brands nor address some of the social malaise that is the cause of drinking to excess.
“However we do not think that there is any justification in the BMA’s call to ban the advertising and marketing of alcohol. It is naive in the extreme, as it marginalises the role that the drinks industry itself can play in educating and encouraging responsible drinking. The brands themselves can be very powerful spokespeople in this endeavour. These very companies are already working with the Department of Health and other interested parties to promote a sensible drinking message to consumers, and we believe that such a co-operative approach is the best way forward.”
Newsline’s weekly commentator, Raymond Snoddy, also responded to the BMA’s call for a total ad ban last September – pointing out that “there is the small matter that the UK already has some of the strictest rules on the advertising of alcohol anywhere”.
“If the zealots win on alcohol advertising where will they go next – sausages, chocolate or even fast cars? After all cars pollute the atmosphere, pump out CO2 and quite often kill people. Why should companies be able to advertise such harmful products?,” Snoddy said.