Have your say on Alcohol Marketing

What did the Law Commission recommend?

The Law Commission recommended a three-stage plan to control alcohol promotions, advertising and sponsorship. The process would take five years and phase out all forms of alcohol advertising.

Stage One makes it an offence for off-licences to promote any event or activity that encourages excessive alcohol consumption. Promotions that specifically target young drinkers will also become an offence.

Stage Two creates a joint committee run by the Ministers of Health and Justice. This will oversee a programme to reduce exposure to alcohol advertising and increase control of advertising content.

Stage Three restricts the advertising and promotion of alcohol in all media. Eventually, no alcohol advertising will be allowed, except that which gives factual product information only.

What was the Government’s response?

• Weak. The Government accepted stage one of the Law Commission’s recommendations but rejected stages two and three. Instead, it is asking its officials to ‘continue to monitor the national and overseas research on the effects of exposure to advertising’.

Overall grade awarded
D Fail , has shown no understanding of the issue and failed to recognise any of the requirements. Complete rewrite needed .

Research and experience shows:

• There are clear and compelling links between alcohol advertising and its influence on young people. Advertising:
  • encourages people to start drinking at a younger age
  • leads young people who already drink to drink more.
• There are links between sponsorship by sportspeople and hazardous drinking.
• Sponsorship of sporting or cultural events reinforces images and messages about alcohol into culture.
• Voluntary self-regulation of alcohol advertising is not working.

What should the Government do?

• At a very minimum, the Government should accept the Law Commission’s three-stage plan to control alcohol promotions, advertising and sponsorship.
• The eventual goal should be an end to all forms of alcohol advertising.
• The Government should place external controls over the industry’s ability to advertise.
• According to the current voluntary code for advertising liquor:
  • advertisements shall not be sexually provocative
  • liquor advertisements shall neither conflict with nor detract from the need for responsibility and moderation in liquor consumption.
• The Government should restrict new forms of marketing that target young people using social media such as Facebook or viral text messaging.
• Alcohol sponsorship of sporting or cultural events across New Zealand should end.

What does the liquor industry sponsor in your community?
A snapshot of alcohol-sponsored cultural and sporting events, summer of 2010:

• The Law Commission’s recommendations were designed to be a ‘mutually supportive package’. We believe the Government should accept the Law Commission’s entire suite of recommendations instead of ‘cherry picking’ the least politically risky options.

What should you do?

• Have your say in creating better alcohol laws by making a written submission to the Select Committee before Tuesday 1 February 2011. This can be as short or long as you like, and you can use this toolkit to help you.
• Tell the Government that it should accept all 153 of the Law Commission’s recommendations.
• If you make a written submission, you should also make an oral presentation. You can be as creative as you like. This is your chance to tell your story about the impact of alcohol on your family and community and to tell our politicians about the changes that you want to see.
• Encourage your friends, family and community to get involved. The more New Zealanders who speak out, the more likely it is that the Government will listen.
• Ask to meet with or write to your local MP and let them know your views on alcohol law change.

Read the PDF version here