Alcohol advertising should be banned in order to tackle its growing harm among young people, a report claims.
The BMA report, called Under the Influence, also calls for an end to all promotional deals like happy hours, two-for-one purchases and ladies’ free entry nights.
Furthermore, it renews the call for other tough measures such as a minimum price per unit on alcoholic drinks and for them to be taxed higher than the rate of inflation.
Alcohol consumption in the UK has increased rapidly in recent years, for example, household expenditure on all alcoholic drinks increased by 81% between 1992 and 2006. And at the same time, claims the author of the report, Professor Gerard Hastings, never before has alcohol been so heavily promoted.
He 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.
“Given adolescents often dislike the taste of alcohol, new products like alcopops and toffee vodka, are developed and promoted as they have greater appeal to young people. 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.”
Brand development and stakeholder marketing by the alcohol industry, including partnership working and industry funded health education, has served the needs of the alcohol industry, not public health, the report claims.
The key recommendations from the report include:
1. A ban on all alcohol marketing and promotion.
2. Minimum price levels for the sale of alcoholic products.
3. Tax increases on alcohol set above the rate of inflation and linked to alcoholic content.
4. A reduction in licensing hours for on- and off-licensed premises.
According to the World Health Organisation, alcohol is the leading risk factor for premature death and disability in developed countries after tobacco and blood pressure. It is related to over 60 medical conditions, costs the NHS millions of pounds every year and is linked to crime and domestic abuse.
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of BMA science and ethics, said: “We have a perverse situation where the alcohol industry is advising our governments about alcohol reduction policies. As with tobacco, putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop – or at least putting him on a par with the farmer – is a dangerous idea. Politicians showed courage before by not bowing to the tobacco industry, they need to do the same now and make tough decisions that will not please alcohol companies.”
Commenting on the findings, Professor Ian Gilmore, chairman of Alcohol Health Alliance and president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “The report is an important review of the evidence base in this area. It shows very clearly that marketing and promotion communications have an impact on drinking behaviours and consumption patterns.
“Policy makers in England must ‘up their game’ and see alcohol as a major public health issue on a par with obesity and smoking that has an impact on the whole population and implement a strong evidence-based approach aimed at reducing overall alcohol consumption. The cornerstones of this approach must be strong public policy measures on price and the availability of alcohol underpinned with greater investment in prevention.”
Read the full report.
Tags: Alcohol
