Alcohol Concern calls for 9pm watershed for TV alcohol ads
Alcohol charity Alcohol Concern has called for a watershed time for alcohol adverts to be broadcast on TV, claiming that millions of children watched alcohol promotions during the televised England games at the World Cup.
With Alcohol Awareness Week kicking off yesterday, the charity has released a report which show that over a million children, aged between four and 15, watched alcohol adverts for brand such as WKD, Carling and Stella Artois during the ITV coverage of England’s football matches, broadcast between 8pm and 10pm.
Alcohol Concern has called for a ban on alcohol adverts being shown before 9pm, and an outright ban on online alcohol ads.
Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern described that number of children exposed to alcohol advertising under the current advertising regulations as ‘unacceptable’ and said that it would lead to higher levels of drinking amongst young people.
“Alcohol producers and advertising regulators are clearly not taking their responsibilities seriously enough and only a watershed ban on TV and an internet ban will prevent the vast majority of children from being exposed to alcohol marketing,” continued Shenker.
Current regulations by the Advertising Standards Authority state that if the proportion of children between the ages of 10-15 watching a programme are more than 20 per cent higher than the proportion of the UK television population watching the same programme, then alcohol brands cannot market around it.
David Polley from The Portman Group which represents the advertising industry spoke to BBC Five Live this morning and dismissed the idea.