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UK Government

Scottish Government could impose outright alcohol advertising ban

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

November 2, 2007 | 2 min read

The Scottish Government has confirmed that it is pressing ahead with plans to restrict alcohol advertising in Scotland.

The plans are understood to be aimed at creating a social stigma around alcohol, similar to the current policy on tobacco.

It is not yet known whether measures to be introduced will include blanket bans across media such as television, radio or sporting events, but a spokesman for the Scottish Government confirmed that measures are currently under consideration to address Scotland's "cultural" issues with alcohol, through the marketing of the product.

"We are not ruling anything out at the moment. It is a process of ongoing engagement with the industry." the spokesman said.

"There is an immediate body of work in terms of implementing the Licensing Act 2005, which is what Kenny MacAskill has focused on. But there is also wider work going on to develop the long term strategy on alcohol, and any look at alcohol advertising would come under that long term strategy,"

Alcohol marketing ostensibly falls under the portfolio of Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill, who has already announced his intention to lay regulations before parliament to ban "irresponsible promotions" of alcohol, which include "anything that gives alcohol free or at a reduced price on purchase of one or more." A Scottish Government spokesman confirmed draft regulations are currently being worked on.

Last month, MacAskill said that such promotions lead directly to "murder and mayhem."

Implementation of the proposals will prove complex. Powers to regulate the advertising industry are not specifically reserved to Westminster, and by default are therefore presumed devolved. However the Scottish Government is understood to be unwilling to create a two-tier structure of alcohol advertising, which would see separate regulations operate in England.

A spokesman for Scottish & Newcastle said the company was "not fully surprised" by the proposals, and would have no difficulty in accommodating any changes in advertising restrictions. "We operate in literally hundred of jurisdictions, and operate within the law in all of them."

Guy Robertson, chairman of IPA Scotland admitted that such restrictions would have "a serious impact on the Scottish marketing industry", and said that he hoped that "common sense would prevail" if indeed such moves were to be made.

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