Advertising Standards Authority review of alcohol advertising
New Zealand Drug Foundation thinks the recommendations of the Advertising Standards Authority Review Committee to change it own voluntary code on alcohol advertising on broadcast media released last Friday are a joke.
Spokesperson for the Foundation, Sally Jackman said: “Maybe you could stop alcohol advertisements appealing to young people if you portrayed middle-aged people in tweeds having a beer. Research shows that linking alcohol brands and drinking to attractive young adult lifestyles influences young teenagers attitudes to alcohol and their later drinking patterns. Voluntary industry codes of advertising standards do not address the way alcohol advertising actually works.
“It is naïve to think that alcohol ads will no longer appeal to young people if as the report recommends we just make sure that ads will not “have the appearance of special appeal to minors by way of designs motifs, cartoon characters or other devices that predominantly appeal to minors”. Surely the review team knows, what every parent knows and the research shows. Teenagers want to behave like cool young people over 18 which is what the ads show.
“ALAC provided the ASA Review committee with data showing that 26 percent of all 10-18 year olds are watching TV after 8.30, the new recommended time for alcohol advertising. Even after 10 pm, 16 percent of minors are still watching, and these ads will be marketing alcohol to them.
“There was only one member of the review team with public health expertise. This member was Colin Tukuitonga, Director of Public Health and he has publicly protested about the recommendations. The Ministry of Health sought discontinuation of broadcast alcohol advertising at the time of the 1998 code review. Its submission to the ASA maintained this position.
“According to a letter sent to the Foundation by Jim Anderton, who is responsible for the Ministerial Committee on Drug Policy, this committee was to meet with members of the ASA before the review was completed. Our understanding is that this did not happen. Instead the Committee announced its recommendations unilaterally.
“The report recommends further research on the effects of alcohol advertising. New Zealand academics have been responsible for world leading research on the impacts of alcohol advertising. The governments of Victoria and New South Wales in Australia and of Ireland are seriously considering toughening up on alcohol advertising. The World Health Organisation is making strong statements about the rights of young people to be protected from saturation alcohol advertising.”
