A broadcast watershed ban on alcohol advertising in Ireland has kicked off today.
The ban – on television and radio – aims to reduce the exposure of children and young people to advertisements for alcoholic products.
Under the new rules, advertisements for alcohol cannot be broadcast on television between the hours of 3am and 8pm.
On radio, the ban exists on weekdays from 3pm until 10am the following morning.
The new rules come under Section 19 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act (PHAA) 2018, which restricts the time when alcohol can be advertised on television and radio.
‘Some Degree Of Protection’
Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) has welcomed the restriction, saying that the change will help ‘to reduce the level of exposure [to] children and increasing use’.
The group noted that, currently, at least 50,000 children in Ireland start to drink every year.
The CEO of the group, Sheila Gilheany, said of the measures, “Ireland is rightly praised internationally for its leadership in passing the PHAA, which is a suite of quite modest measures designed to provide some degree of protection from the tactics of an aggressive industry acting against the population’s health through relentless marketing.
“AAI and many others have strongly campaigned for years for its introduction, and since it was passed, alcohol consumption per capita has dropped by 10%, which is positive.
“However, the fact that the broadcast watershed is only coming into force now, almost seven years after being signed into law – and that not all sections of PHAA are in force yet – shows the power of the alcohol industry’s lobbying efforts to stymie and delay progress.
“The different sections of the PHAA are designed to complement one another, and the legislation’s public health benefits will only be fully realised when all the sections are enforced.
“With Ireland still drinking at a level 40% higher than HSE lower-risk guidelines, this is an imperative.”
Future Restrictions
The PHAA will also implement restrictions on the content of alcohol advertisements and restrictions on advertisements in publications at a future date.
In addition to this, ads for alcohol products will be required to include health information – such as cancer warnings and details of the HSE alcohol information website – with the aim of providing unbiased material about alcohol risks.
This requirement also aims to break positive associations between alcohol and lifestyle.
'More Balance'
Commenting on the changes, director of Drinks Ireland Cormac Healy said, "In Ireland, we have some of the most comprehensive and stringent laws pertaining to the advertising of alcohol products.
"The industry takes its responsibility in this area very seriously as evidenced by the strict adherence and compliance with the regulations and legislation in place, including the provisions of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act, and advertising and broadcasting codes including Coimisiún na Meán, ASAI and Copy Clear.
"The high level of compliance is independently monitored and verified.
"We will continue to follow these and the new parameters governing advertising and marketing.
"Alcohol consumption trends have been changing for some time in Ireland and the progress made needs to be recognised.
"Per capita alcohol consumption in Ireland has decreased by around 30% in the last 20 years, with clear trends showing people are seeking more balance in how they drink and choosing more premium products."
Read More: Dry January And Nolo Alternatives: Alcohol Consumption Is Changing
