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- The Alcohol Framework 2018 Preventing Harm
- Scotlands new drug and alcohol strategy launched
- AFS welcome new alcohol strategy
- Recent reporting on alcohol sales data
- Cross-Party Group Improving Scotland's health: 2021 and beyond October 2018
- Diageo is failing to provide latest guidelines on their products
- Drinks companies keeping consumers in dark about risky drinking
- Reducing alcohol consumption can address health inequalities
- Alcohol-specific deaths remain at very high levels
- Oh Lila goes digital
- Global first alcohol policy set to save hundreds of Scots' lives
- AFS welcomes minimum unit pricing for alcohol
- Walker's crisp ad exposes children to alcohol marketing
- Truer picture of alcohol harm revealed
- Focus on link between alcohol and obesity
- Alcohol causes 3,700 deaths in Scotland every year
- Last Christmas for heavily discounted alcohol
- Scotland's licensing system needs clearer direction
- Minimum pricing blog
- Minimum pricing gets green light
- Reflections on GAPC 2017
- Alcohol brands and young people
- Time for honest conversations about alcohol
- Q&A on alcohol marketing
- UK children anxious about parents' drinking
- Quarter of Scots drink above guidelines
- Alcohol producers failing to inform public
- Concern over alcohol-related deaths
- We need to make it easier for people to drink less
- Worrying rise in alcohol-related deaths
- Minimum pricing will save lives
- Pocket money prices for alcohol continue
- Scotland's alcohol problem laid bare
- Cheap alcohol is costing Scotland dear
- One drink a day can increase breast cancer risk
- Poverty linked to increased harm from alcohol
- What next for reducing alcohol harm in Scotland?
- Scotland must do more to turn tide of alcohol harm
- Concern as funding for alcohol services cut
- Budget: No change in alcohol duty
- Scottish Government urged to curb alcohol marketing
- Consumers have the right to know health risks
- Chancellor urged to tackle cheap, strong cider in Budget
- Online help for families affected by alcohol
- Alcohol-free childhood is healthiest option
- SWA granted leave to appeal minimum pricing
- Drink drive warning
- Scottish Greens call for action on alcohol marketing
- Scottish Government receives European alcohol award
- SWA will appeal to UK Supreme Court
- Half of alcohol being sold under 50p per unit
- SWA urged to respect minimum pricing decision
- Alcohol and mental health are closely linked
- Minimum pricing can be implemented in Scotland
- Alcohol sold at pocket money prices
- Scotland has so much to gain from reducing how much we drink
- AFS welcomes revised alcohol consumption guidelines
- Emergency services face shocking levels of alcohol abuse
- Every child has the right to grow up safe from alcohol harm
- Public health must prevail over big business
- New toolkit to help children affected by family alcohol problems
- Price check reveals cheap cost of strong alcohol
- Sales increase underlines need for minimum pricing
- Time to kick alcohol out of sport
- Alcohol linked with stomach cancer
- AFS calls for compulsory health warnings on alcoholic drinks
- Are supermarkets 'responsible retailers' when it comes to alcohol?
- Scottish health charities call for excise duty rise to tackle cheap alcohol
- Alcohol campaigners unite to call for stronger protection from alcohol advertising to children
- New resource for people concerned about alcohol in their community
- Minimum pricing decision delayed until summer
- No completely 'safe' level of drinking
- New alcohol guidelines published
- Minimum pricing - European court ruling
- Alcohol fuels ambulance assaults
- 82% of Scots agree drink driving is unacceptable
- Scotland's alcohol strategy - what next?
- Scotland leads way in evidence-based alcohol policy
- New report reveals impact of alcohol on emergency services
- Alcohol: a global concern
Alcohol campaigners unite to call for stronger protection from alcohol advertising to children
Ahead of the coming Holyrood election, alcohol campaigners have warned that protecting children from alcohol marketing must be given far greater priority by all parties in the next parliamentary term.
Alcohol Focus Scotland, BMA Scotland, SHAAP and Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs have joined together to call on Scotland’s politicians to pledge to do more to reduce the exposure of children to alcohol advertising.
Research has shown that exposure to alcohol marketing reduces the age at which young people start to drink, increases the likelihood that they will drink and increases the amount of alcohol they will consume once they have started to drink.
Just this week, a systematic review of research into alcohol sponsorship by the Institute of Alcohol Studies found consistent evidence of a link between exposure and risky drinking behaviour in children. Also, in a 2014 poll commissioned by the Alcohol Health Alliance, 69% of people were found to believe that alcohol advertising campaigns appeal to under-18s.
Scottish Parliament candidates from all parties are being asked to pledge their support for action to enable children to grow up free from exposure to alcohol advertising.
Alison Douglas, Chief Executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland said:
“Everyone agrees that children shouldn’t see alcohol advertising but they do. Watching sport on TV, waiting for the school bus, at the cinema or using social media – all of these activities are exposing our children to positive messages from alcohol companies. As well as being morally wrong, there is clear evidence that exposure to alcohol marketing leads children to start drinking at an earlier age and to drink more.
“The current codes are failing to protect children. It’s time to take effective action in Scotland and ensure our children can play, learn and socialise in places that are free from alcohol marketing."
Dr Peter Bennie, Chair of BMA Scotland said:
“The presence of alcohol branding is currently ever-present in the lives of children in Scotland. There can be few children in Scotland who are not exposed to some form of alcohol advertising or branding on an almost daily basis.
“The next parliamentary term must see concrete action to protect children from alcohol marketing and I hope all candidates at this election will sign up to endorse that.”
Eric Carlin, Director of SHAAP (Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems) said:
“Doctors and nurses in Scotland see on a daily basis the harms that are caused to young people and their families by alcohol. Rather than accepting the inevitability that all young people will drink and that parents and carers are powerless to do anything about it, we need to challenge the ways that young people are exposed to alcohol promotions, in advertising in the middle of soap operas and entertainment programmes, sports and musical events and social media.
“Many research studies indicate that use of alcohol by teenagers can have long-lasting effects on the physiology of the brain. Social activities for young people do not need to be dominated by pressure to fit in by drinking alcohol.”
Christine Duncan, Chief Executive of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs said:
“Through our frontline services we recognise the full impact of problematic alcohol on families which is often as real, and present for some families, as alcohol branding in day-to-day life. Alcohol marketing serves as a continual reminder of some of the difficulties being faced by families and their loved ones.
“We urge all candidates to recognise the impact of alcohol marketing on children and young people and encourage elected representatives to pledge to take action to reduce the exposure of children to alcohol advertising in the next parliamentary term.”