RSA Course Online

Tag: alcohol advertisements

  • Police Commissioner Calls for Ban on Alcohol Advertising

    There seems to be growing support for the banning of alcohol advertising during live sporting broadcasts in Western Australia.

    The Police Commissioner, Karl O’Callaghan has urged Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to consider banning alcohol advertising during live sporting broadcasts.

    According to Abbott, alcohol advertisements are just as damaging to children as gambling advertisements and betting odds promoted during live sporting events. He is particularly concerned about the impact that alcohol advertisements will have on children who watch AFL, NRL and other popular sporting codes in Oz. He has often in the past condemned the alcohol industry’s campaigns which he believes target youngsters with their themes and appeal.

    This post on TheAustralian.com.au explains:

    Earlier this week, the federal Liberal leader said if he wins government in September he will scrap live betting odds from sports broadcasts unless the television industry takes action first.

    Today, WA’s top cop called on Mr Abbott to also consider alcohol ads in his prohibition, saying children tuning into AFL, NRL and other sporting codes were just as likely to be influenced by ads for beer as betting.

    “He thinks that is a loophole and that it means they (bookmakers) can advertise during G-rated programs for kids – the same actually applies to alcohol,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

    “It is the only time when someone can advertise alcohol at a time of day when kids could be watching.

    “My message to him is to have a look at both things. You have got an opportunity, so do it properly.”

    The WA commissioner has been a vocal critic of alcohol advertisers, regularly issuing official complaints through the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) scheme, while labelling some advertisers “cunning” and “unethical”.

    He also put his case to police commissioners of every other state at a national meeting in April.

    Mr Abbott said he was ready to put the television industry “on notice” to clamp down on broadcasting live betting odds during sports coverage or face a legislated ban.

    Read more: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/call-for-ban-on-alcohol-ads-in-sport/story-e6frg996-1226638671649

    It seems the police commissioner’s concerns may be warranted as statistics show Aussie youth are drinking from a younger age than they did a few years ago and more teen are engaging in binge drinking than ever before.

    While on this topic one cannot help but recall a recent article in which we discussed a study which provided evidence that young people are encouraged to start drinking by alcohol advertising. The group expressed fears that alcohol advertising and marketing messages are portraying the wrong message to the youth, that alcohol is the way to happiness and success.

    The study for the European Commission found that children in the UK are more exposed to alcohol marketing than even adults are, with 10 to 15-year-olds seeing 10% more alcohol advertising on television than their parents do and 50% more ads for pre-mixed drinks. Perhaps even more concerning is the advertising of alcohol products on social media, which is mostly frequented by young people.

    Debates such as this one highlight even more the need for the enforcement of Responsible Service of Alcohol. It is RSA staff’s responsibility to ensure that people under the age of 18 do not get their hands on alcohol in licenced venues. It is important to ask anyone who looks young for an ID and refuse them alcohol if they cannot provide it.

     

  • Healthy Lifestyle Ads Blocked

    The issue of alcohol advertisements and promotions which certain members of the public say “entice” young children into drinking have once again come under the spotlight as a father has been blocked by the AFL and Cricket Australia from taking out advertisements promoting healthy living because sporting bodies feel it would conflict with their sponsorships from alcohol companies.

    The incident has public health experts up in arms and they have accused sporting codes of “bowing down to corporate bullies”.

    Read about the controversy below, taken from TheHerald.com.au:

    Tasmanian Aaron Schultz tried to buy advertising space at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval to promote his ”Game Changer” campaign against the marketing of junk food and alcohol towards children through sport.

    He hoped to run four 30-second advertisements on the big screens during the North Melbourne versus Sydney game on April 13 at a total cost of $1500, but was told via email by North Melbourne that the AFL ”could not accommodate” the ad.

    It carried the slogan ”tackling unhealthy advertising in sport” and the gamechanger.org.au website.

    Mr Schultz also approached Cricket Tasmania, which have permanent signage rights at the ground, willing to pay up to $15,000 for a space.

    But an email response from Cricket Australia sent on March 26 said; ”Unfortunately your campaign contradicts with some of our contracted partners.”

    Public health expert Mike Daube, director of the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, said he was amazed sporting bodies would censor public health messages.

    ”It is appalling that alcohol and junk food companies can prevent the communication of healthy messages,,” he said.

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1478342/sports-reject-healthy-living-ad-series/?cs=2373

    Schultz launched the “Game Changer” campaign in January this year after he became concerned that advertisements during sporting events was having an impact on his children who displayed an interest in cricket and began to watch it a lot on television and live in Hobart. He then realised that high levels of alcohol and other junk foods products being promoted were sending the wrong message to children and in fact all Australians.

    The article on TheHerald.com.au also went on to discuss the recent analysis of 3 AFL final series games where alcohol promotions were shown an average of 244 times which worked out to more than 20 minutes a match.

    A spokesman for the AFL said that the code had no contracts with any of its partners or sponsors that banned advertisements such as Game Changer but the advertisement did oppose the beliefs of the AFL because according to the AFL people should make their own decisions about what they drink and eat and also do so on behalf of their families. He also said that the AFL supported messages around responsible use of alcohol but not imposing restrictions.

    The spokesman went on to say:

    A Cricket Australia spokesman said the responsible drinking category was already filled.

    ”Cricket Australia and Carlton & United Brewery’s ‘Know When to Declare’ responsible use of alcohol advertising is the only advertising of this type we carry,” he said.

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1478342/sports-reject-healthy-living-ad-series/?cs=2373

     

  • Alcohol Advertising Targeting Children According to Study

    The damage that alcohol can do young people is a topic that is particularly relevant to workers in the RSA industry because they play such an important role in making sure minors don’t get their hands on alcohol.

    Anyone whose work involves selling or serving alcohol to the public, need to consider the negative effects of alcohol on teenagers and the legal consequences of serving minors. Anyone in a position to serve alcohol to underage minors needs to be aware of the consequences of their actions, which can be detrimental to young person because it may instil in them a drinking problem later in life.

    Studies have already proven that the younger a person starts drinking, the more likely they are to binge drink at a later stage in life. Now a new study in the UK has confirmed what many have suspected even here in Oz, that children are more exposed to alcohol advertising than their parents.

    Although the study was arranged by the European Commission and surveyed children in the UK, similarities can be drawn to Oz. Even here alcohol advertising has been criticised as targeting children with its themes and timeslots, especially during big sporting events.

    Another interesting finding by the report was that social media advertising of alcohol is on the rise which may have a greater impact on young people as they are the ones who predominantly use social media.

    According to the New Zealand based Alcohol Action group alcohol advertising encourages young people to start drinking and for those that are already alcohol consumers, marketing encourages them to drink more. The group are afraid that these advertising and marketing messages are saying to youth that alcohol is the way to happiness and success.

    Read about the study below, the post was taken from Tvnz.co.nz:

    Youths are more exposed to alcohol advertisements than their parents, according to a new study.

    A new study for the European Commission found that children in the UK are more exposed to alcohol marketing than adults are, with 10 to 15-year-olds seeing 10% more alcohol advertising on television than their parents do, and 50% more ads for pre-mixed drinks.

    The report also warned of the expansion of alcohol marketing on social media like Twitter and Facebook, which many young people use.

    Alcohol Action New Zealand says alcohol marketing increases the likelihood that teenagers will start drinking and encourages those who already drink to consume more.

    It said in a statement that alcohol advertising helps to maintain the country’s “damaging drinking culture through influencing the population, especially the next generation, to believe that drinking alcohol is the path to happiness and success”.

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/kids-see-more-alcohol-marketing-than-adults-study-5360443

    The consequences of underage drinking go beyond the physical impact that alcohol has on the developing body of a teen, but it also affects the choices they make, which often can impact their entire lives.

    The Responsible Service of Alcohol regulations dictate that any person who looks young must be asked for their ID by alcohol servers, especially people who appear under the age of 25. Serving alcohol to minors can result in a fine for the server, the venue and even the young person, so be sure that you aren’t contributing to the problem by asking young people for an ID and ensuring that they are over the legal drinking age.