NGOs seek to call time on alcohol advertising
13 September 2007
The debate about binge drinking, alcohol-induced harm and anti-social behaviour and about alcohol advertising has recently returned to centre stage with NGO members and politicians calling for increased restrictions on alcohol advertisements.
In October 2005, CAP and BCAP introduced new and stricter restrictions on alcohol advertisements in response to the Government’s Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy. The revision was one part of a strategy that was intended to promote a culture of sensible drinking and the new rules sought to ensure that alcohol was advertised responsibly by avoiding appeal to the young, links with youth culture or sex, tough or daring behaviour and irresponsible serving or drinking of alcohol.
Since the stricter restrictions came into effect, the CAP Compliance and Monitoring Executive has completed two surveys of alcohol ads that appeared in print and on TV and found the compliance rate with the new codes to be extremely high – 98% in 2005 and 95% in 2006. Also industry bodies, the Advertising Association, IPA and ISBA, have produced joint research that demonstrates how advertisers are adhering to the spirit and the letter of the new restrictions.
Alcohol Concern and the Suzie Lamplugh Trust are nevertheless lobbying politicians for even more restrictions on alcohol advertising, including a 9pm watershed. Also, the House of Commons has discussed the problems of excessive alcohol consumption, with Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley proposing a Bill intended to reduce harmful alcohol consumption and restrict alcohol advertising. A coalition of MPs from all parties has simultaneously signed a Commons motion that urges the Government to ban alcohol ads being shown in cinemas before films with a certificate below 18 and impose a 9.00pm watershed on TV ads for alcohol. Alcohol promotions (including advertising) and pricing have come under scrutiny by the BMA, civil servants and politicians. The Department of Health is beginning its review of the pricing and promotion of alcohol by mid-2008 as part of the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy; the results of that review will feed into a full public consultation.
The attention presently being placed on alcohol-related problems by concerned organisations, the media and the Government is greater than ever. And the clamour for more restrictions on alcohol advertisements and promotional activities is unlikely to die down.
The UK is not alone in its renewed focus on alcohol-induced harm and alcohol advertising. The subject has also returned to centre stage in Brussels, much to the concern of the alcohol and advertising industries throughout Europe.
The ASA and OFCOM are presently co-researching whether the 2005 revision has reduced the appeal of alcohol ads to young people; the results of that research are expected to be published later this year. In the meantime, the Government is beginning its review of the pricing and promotion of alcohol by April 2008 as part of the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy; the results of that review will feed into a full public consultation.
CAP and BCAP believe that society’s alcohol-related problems cannot be cured merely by restricting alcohol advertising and that changes to their codes should be evidence-based: the effect of the 2005 changes to their Codes should be properly evaluated and only if they have not had the intended effect on under-age drinkers and young or irresponsible drinkers, or if alcohol advertising is shown to have contributed to binge drinking or alcohol-induced harm and anti-social behaviour, should more severe restrictions be contemplated. We continue to engage with all interested parties to ensure that the rules for alcohol advertising are both relevant to public policy and proportionate without overly restricting the responsible marketing of a product that remains legally on sale to the public.