New restrictions planned on alcohol advertising for young

Tough new laws to restrict alcohol advertising for young people are being considered by the Department of Health.

This follows Cabinet approval yesterday for the establishment of an inter-departmental committee to look at an overall approach for dealing with alcohol as a social problem, based on the Task Force Report on Alcohol.

A separate Department of Health committee will draw up proposals specifically aimed at advertising. Many of the proposals are already in the voluntary advertising standards code, but the drinks industry has not adhered to the code, according to the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, who last night confirmed the establishment of the committee.

The department will look at placing health warnings on all drink advertising and banning alcohol advertising in cinemas for films for under 18s as well as the banning of low cost selling by discounts and vouchers, such as apply in colleges.

Consideration will be given too imposing a compulsory watershed for television advertising, banning advertising and promotions in public areas where there are children, such as outside schools and banning alcohol-related sponsorship of events aimed at under 18s.

There could be a total ban on the advertising of spirits.

The proposals are listed in EU Council recommendations and the department wants to put some of those EU recommendations into national legislation.

Further proposals being considered for legislation include a ban on the portrayal of drinking as a challenge, or of it being depicted as brave, daring or implying social, sexual or sporting success.

Advertising should not be linked with violence or high risk activities.

The committee would look at limiting the content of adverts so that their design or promotion does not appeal to children or adolescents.

Mr Martin said he regarded the proposals as a "modest step forward" in dealing with the growing problem of alcohol.

"It is not as simple as tobacco advertising" he said and there were "cross frontiers" difficulties with satellite television, issues that were problematic in the short-term.

"We are cognisant of not putting national stations at a competitive disadvantage".

However, "we are very worried about what is happening to young people," he said referring to the surveys which showed " alarming" levels of binge drinking among young people. "We are storing up huge health problems for the future," unless the issue is dealt with.

They were "following the model that the State used with tobacco over the past 10 to 15 years when it adopted an incremental approach to changing the culture", Mr Martin added.