Balance speaks out on alcohol advertising targetting young people in the North East

Alcohol advertising is risking the lives and futures of children across the North East by encouraging them to drink early and more, according to a campaign launched this week by Balance, the North East Alcohol Office.

Through its ‘See What Sam Sees’ campaign Balance says it is inviting North Easterners to take a child's eye view and witness the way the alcohol industry is bombarding young people with ads which make drinkers appear popular, successful and attractive. In the region 55% of people already agree that alcohol targets under18s. 

 

The film was ruled it could not be shown on TV as it contravened the Communications Act 2003 since Balance hoped to use the ad to encourage visitors to its website to sign a petition. The petition calls on Government to introduce more meaningful regulations to stop the alcohol industry reaching children and young people through advertising.

Colin Shevills, Director of Balance said: "Our children are brought up in a world where drinking at an early age and consuming large quantities is viewed as 'normal' or 'acceptable' and alcohol advertising plays a central role in this. We need to stop the alcohol industry from recruiting its next generation of drinkers and exposing young people to £800m worth of marketing a year."

Balance is urging North Easterners to visit www.balancenortheast.co.uk and sign its petition which calls out for regulations to:

• Prevent alcohol ads from targeting children and young people
• Prevent alcohol ads from being shown on TV and in the cinema for under 18 certificate films
• Prevent alcohol ads from being shown through social networking sites
• Prevent alcohol sponsorship of sporting and youth events.

Earlier this year Alcohol Concern called for further action to address children and young people's exposure to advertising.

Comments

[Suzette]

As I'm not familiar with the UK Communications Act 2003, I can't see why the video was ruled out? I think it's as accurate as it can be (perhaps the ruling was to diminish any destruction of future business for alcohol ads seen in the commercial). Over here, across the pond, we've plenty of campaigns reaching youth in a similar manner, e.g. Truth campaign for anti-tobacco. People do need to know that up to 50% of under-18s that were extensively exposed to alcohol advertising were more likely to develop alcohol dependence in adulthood, alongside a nasty slew of chronic diseases (heart disease, stroke).

I realize this website is primarily for UK alcohol awareness and media advocacy, but if you could, would you keep up to date with the alcohol awareness campaigns in North America?

From what I've seen so far, Canada's just realized the importance of alcohol and advertising and has yet to act on the information. And in the US, Governor McDonnell recently signed on for restriction of alcohol ads on billboards, around youth-populated areas and especially around schools. Clearly this is important and the UK's got a leg up on the matter.

Please keep up what you're doing and perhaps broaden it to other mega-centers of Western drinking, i.e. Canada and the USA. It definitely helps with media advocacy for policy change.