Leading Health Charities call for ban on
advertising alcohol price promotions

A coalition of leading UK public health organisations have joined forces to call for a ban on the advertising of alcohol sold on promotion. The Alcohol Health Alliance, which includes the IAS, Alcohol Concern and the Royal College of Physicians, wants to see an end to all adverts which promote alcohol on the basis of low cost. This would include discounted alcohol, multi-buy promotions and buy-one-get-one-free special offers. The Alliance hopes that such a move would reduce competition between supermarkets to sell alcohol cheaply and below cost in order to increase consumption. The Alliance wants the ban to include advertising by supermarkets, in which alcohol on promotion is one of a number of products advertised.

In their submission to the Advertising Standards Authority’s comprehensive review of advertising codes, the Alliance requests that ‘advertisements must not include alcohol sales promotions and must not imply, condone or encourage immoderate drinking’. The Alliance believes that the advertising of alcohol sales promotions encourages competition between retailers to heavily discount alcohol products and encourages below-cost or ‘loss leading’ sales, in turn leading to higher alcohol consumption and an escalating public health crisis.

Other European countries, such as France and Norway, have a total ban on all alcohol advertising on television and billboards.

Alcohol Concern Chief Executive Don Shenker said:

“Supermarket price wars played out in the media are pushing the costs of alcohol down and presenting alcohol as an everyday household item."

“By promoting heavily discounted alcohol, retailers are encouraging bulk buying and contradicting the safe drinking messages the Government is trying to promote, and which they claim to support.”

Royal College of Physicians President Ian Gilmore said:

“As a society we know we have a drink problem and to allow alcohol to be marketed like soap powder is simply not acceptable."

“We have the evidence that young people are influenced by marketing and know that other countries are taking firm action. We must follow suit."