Booze ads get thumbs down
The latest audit by an alcohol advertising watchdog has upheld more than 50 complaints, including one about a beer-sponsored footy tipping competition mail-out to a nine-year-old and another in which a retailer described alcohol as "liquid Viagra".
The fourth report by the Alcohol Advertising Review Board, set up by health groups in 2012 to monitor alcohol promotions, also upheld a complaint about an advertisement featuring sporting heroes "blessing" beer.
The board received 89 complaints between March and August last year, upholding 52 of them partly or entirely, compared with one complaint upheld over the same period by the industry's self-regulatory scheme, which oversees the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code.
The audit's release comes in the same week that WA's liquor control review found self-regulation of alcohol marketing was inadequate and called on the State Government to do more to protect children from irresponsible promotions.
The review said though the code had value, more regulation was needed because of a demand from the community for the Government to act on alcohol advertising aimed at young people.
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"The committee recognises the liquor industry's efforts to self-regulate the advertising and promotion of alcohol but must also acknowledge community expectations are not being met by self-regulation," the report said.
It called for the Director of Liquor Licensing to be given power to ban promotions likely to affect children and discounting that could encourage irresponsible drinking.
Healthway chairwoman Rosanna Capolingua said the board received many complaints about sophisticated alcohol marketing directed at children.
McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth director Mike Daube said regulation was urgently needed because some sections of the industry failed to respond to the board.
But he said the Belgian Beer Cafe in Perth had agreed to remove a sign that read "A great place to pick up a blonde", next to an image of a glass of beer, after a recent complaint that it sexualised women and was discriminatory.
