Volume 202 - Issue 7
Call time on alcohol advertising in sport
Authors: Brian Vandenberg and Kathryn E Chapman
Med J Aust 2015; 202 (7): 361-362. || doi: 10.5694/mja14.01020
Published online: 20 April 2015
Published online: 20 April 2015
Governments must strengthen regulations to break the nexus between alcohol advertising and sport
To the Editor: In handing down the 2014–15 Budget, the Australian Government announced the closure of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA), effective from 30 June 2014. It now remains to be seen whether the ANPHA's comprehensive review of alcohol advertising regulation in Australia, including its draft recommendations for greater protection of children and young people exposed to alcohol advertising, will remain.
As a starting point, the ANPHA recommended that an exemption be removed from the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice which allows direct advertising of alcohol products on free-to-air television before 8.30 pm as an accompaniment to live sport broadcasts on public holidays and weekends.1 If this recommendation were taken up by the government, it would significantly reduce young people's exposure to alcohol advertising.
A wealth of evidence shows that frequent exposure of the young to alcohol marketing increases the likelihood of early initiation to drinking, higher consumption among those already drinking, and heavy drinking in the long term.2-4
Sporting events on television are extremely popular among young people in Australia, but exposure to alcohol advertising while watching these reinforces a close relationship between alcohol and sport.
Worryingly, young people's exposure to alcohol marketing through televised sport now extends well beyond the ad breaks. In a recent study commissioned by Cancer Council Victoria, researchers at the University of Wollongong found that, of all alcohol marketing in the broadcasts during the major football code finals, most exposure came through vision of fixed signage around the stadium and integrated advertisements (live announcements, pop-ups and banners, and broadcast sponsorship announcements).5
Governments must strengthen regulations to protect children and break the nexus between alcohol advertising and sport.
Competing interests
Brian Vandenberg is currently employed as the executive officer of the National Alliance for Action on Alcohol.
References
- Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA). Draft report – alcohol advertising: the effectiveness of current regulatory codes in addressing community concern. ANPHA, Feb 2014. http://anpha.gov.au/internet/anpha/publishing.nsf/Content/F641F67C6D6F52C5CA257C86001D5F19/$File/Alcohol%20Advertising%20DRAFT%20REPORT%20MASTER%20DOCUMENT%2020.2.14%20(D14-3314).pdf (accessed Mar 2015).
- Fan AZ, Russell M, Stranges S, et al. Association of lifetime alcohol drinking trajectories with cardiometabolic risk. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008; 93: 154-161. _Ref415746752
- Fleming K, Thorson E, Atkin CK. Alcohol advertising exposure and perceptions: links with alcohol expectancies and intentions to drink or drinking in undergrad youth and young adults. J Health Commun 2004; 9: 3-29. 3
- Hastings G, Sheron N. Alcohol marketing: grooming the next generation: children are more exposed than adults and need much stronger protection. BMJ 2013; 346: f1227. _Ref415746755
- Barrie L, Jones S, Chapman M, Corr N. Alcohol advertising in televised broadcasts of Australian football finals series. Research report prepared by the Centre for Health Initiatives, University of Wollongong for Cancer Council Victoria. 2013. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/87d249a468a3b6f1ca257b650024bf41/$FILE/Alcohol%20advertising%20in%20televised%20broadcasts%20of%20Australian%20football%20finals%20series.pdf (accessed Mar 2015).
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