Scotland alcohol advertising ban: Campaigners clash over effectiveness of proposed ban

Campaigners have clashed over the effectiveness of an alcohol advertising ban, which was previously proposed by the Scottish Government.

A free market think tank has claimed there is “little evidence” to support a ban on alcohol advertising, saying marketing is aimed at encouraging current drinkers to switch brands.

However, proponents of a ban said there is in fact “strong evidence” to suggest that alcohol advertising has a marked effect on underage drinking.

The right wing, free market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), which has admitted to receiving funding from the alcohol and retail industries in the past, said advertising “affects the market share of individual brands”, but has “no effect on alcohol consumption overall”.

A report by The Institute of Economic Affairs - Alcohol Advertising: What does the evidence show? - examined studies that looked at how marketing alcohol affected demand.

“This is how advertising works in every other mature market, and it would be a surprise if alcohol were any different,” said Christopher Snowdon, the head of lifestyle economics at the IEA.

“Strident claims from anti-alcohol campaigners about advertising should be taken with a pinch of salt.

“This evidence review [conducted by the IEA] found that only a few high-quality studies have looked at this issue, and the evidence is, at best, mixed. A ban on alcohol advertising would certainly not be an evidence-based policy."

The World Health Organisation recommends restrictions on alcohol availability and alcohol marketing as two of the three most cost-effective measures for reducing alcohol-related harm.

A 2018 study in New Zealand found neighbourhood off-licence alcohol retailers were associated with increased childhood exposure to alcohol marketing, and ultimately the consumption of alcohol by children.

Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, the chair of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), a partnership of the Medical Royal Colleges in Scotland and the Faculty of Public Health, said the IEA “appear to be acting as the messenger for the alcohol industry here”.

"[It is] reminiscent of their previous campaigns to support tobacco industry opposition to public health regulations,” said Dr MacGilchrist.

“Christopher Snowdon has publicly opposed population-wide alcohol policies such as Minimum Unit Pricing, which we now know has successfully achieved its aim of reducing alcohol harms and deaths.

"Exposure to alcohol marketing is all-consuming in Scottish society. It is simply inescapable in daily life.

"We know that this exposure does influence drinking behaviours, especially in children and young people, and this has to come to an end.

"Every day, three lives are lost in Scotland because of alcohol and population-wide measures to address marketing are recommended by the World Health Organization as one of the most effective ways to reduce harms."

Meanwhile, Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland - which is funded by the Scottish Government - said there is “strong evidence that exposure to alcohol marketing is a cause of youth drinking”.

“It leads young people to start drinking earlier, to drink more if they are already drinking, and to drink at heavy or problematic levels,” said Ms Douglas.

“This is alongside emerging evidence that people with or at-risk of an alcohol problem are also more affected than the general population.

“Companies spend millions of pounds promoting their products, something they wouldn’t do if it didn’t work.

“Alcohol marketing affects us all, it encourages positive attitudes towards alcohol, changes our individual behaviours, and creates and sustains the idea alcohol consumption is normal and desirable.”

In November, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on a range of measures to restrict alcohol advertising and promotion. The proposals could have led to a ban on alcohol advertising outdoors.

However, following the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon and the elevation of Humza Yousaf to the position of First Minister, the plans have been put on hold, with the latter saying the Scottish Government will now go "back to the drawing board" on alcohol advertising proposals.