Alcohol firms 'pushing limits of advertising'

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) claimed advertisers were still managing to appeal to young people and promote drinking despite the content of alcohol adverts being restricted.

Report author Prof Gerard Hastings said firms were pushing the boundaries of the advertising code of practice and warned the system of self-regulatory controls for alcohol advertising was failing.

He explained: "What is happening is we have an inadequate regulatory system.

"There needs to be legislation that should be independent of those with vested interests."

Prof Hastings stopped short of saying advertisers were deliberately targeting under-age drinkers, but said: "They have a great interest in getting people as soon as they can, into their products."

The alcohol industry spends around 800m a year promoting alcohol in the UK.

The team analysed internal marketing documents from four alcohol producers and their communications agencies, made available as part of the House of Commons Health Committee alcohol inquiry.

These included client briefs, media schedules, advertising budgets and market research reports.

The BMJ report focussed on four themes banned by the advertising code such as appealing to people under 18, encouraging irresponsible drinking, as well as sponsorship and new media.

The report said research data on 15- and 16-year-olds was used to guide campaign development and deployment, while references were made about the need to recruit new drinkers and establish their loyalty to a particular brand.

The findings claimed the drink WKD wanted to attract "new 18-year-olds" and Carling took a particular interest in the fact that the Carling Weekend was "first choice for the festival virgin".

Other documents suggest that brands can promote social success, masculinity or femininity, despite this also being banned under advertising codes.

Carling is described as a "social glue" by its promotion team, while the need to "communicate maleness and personality" is noted as a key communications objective for WKD, the report said.

BMJ deputy editor Trish Groves called for a clampdown on alcohol promotion and a minimum price per unit of alcohol to prevent the rise of alcohol related ill health.

She said: "It is time to put away the rhetoric, popular with the drinks industry, that alcohol misuse is largely an individual problem best avoided and managed through education, counselling and medical treatment.

"Instead, the UK needs to embrace the idea that the health and societal costs of alcohol misuse are best prevented through legislation on pricing and marketing."

But the managing director of producers Diageo GB, Simon Litherland, vehemently rejected the BMJ article.

He said: "This article is a gross misrepresentation of the strict internal marketing process that Diageo applies, and a distortion of the evidence we provided to the Health Select Committee as part of its inquiry.

"We are extremely disappointed that the confidential and commercially sensitive information shared with the Committee, in good faith, has been made available for Prof Hastings' use in pursuing his own public agenda."

The chief executive of the Wines and Spirits Trade Association , Jeremy Beadles, added: "This article simply confirms that Prof Hastings is a committed advocate of restrictions on advertising and promotion of alcohol and that his retention as an adviser to the Health Select Committee ensured its recent report on alcohol would reach a fixed conclusion."