Soap Box Blog: Last orders for alcohol advertising?

The BMA’s report ‘Under the influence – the damaging effect of alcohol marketing on young people’ wants a crackdown on such activities, which would extend to sports and musical sponsorship.

The report also proposes increased alcohol levies and reduced trading hours for on- and off-licensed premises. Drinks industry bodies have, unsurprisingly, condemned the proposals for the impact it will have on firms and the increased cost to consumers.

David Poley, chief executive of the Portman Group that monitors alcohol marketing, said the evidence showed that “advertising causes brand switching, not harmful drinking”.

The debate on binge drinking in Britain goes around in circles, and the tactics that have been used with tobacco seemed destined for failure. Price increases don’t seem to work as alcohol already costs more than in other parts of Europe.

I’m not convinced banning advertising would either. The BMA report was published on the same day Carlsberg agreed to sponsor the England football team for another four years.

But even if Jaffa Cakes or the Oxford English Dictionary sponsored the team, the fact remains that a huge number of men – and women – will be watching tonight’s match against Croatia with a drink in their hand.

Banning advertising would also affect the packaging sector. What about all those promotions to win seats at an Ashes test? And special edition packs to coincide with the London 2012 Olympics?

These would have to be a thing of the past. And that’s before we get started on multipacks and buy one, get one free offers, which seem an obvious target in persuading people to drink less.

No one would deny that drinking too much is bad for your health. But alcohol forms such an integral part of the culture of this country, that until that changes I can’t see banning advertising having much of an effect.

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