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Pressure Mounts For Changes To Booze Ad Laws

Press Releases July 03 2008

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Pressure is mounting on the Rudd Government to agree to Family First’s demands for stricter guidelines to alcohol advertising and warning labels on alcoholic drinks.

``Prime Minister Kevin Rudd must see that banning alcohol advertising on daytime television and putting warning labels on alcohol is the only way to go if he is serious about tackling the epidemic of binge drinking that has its grip on so many young people,’’ Family First leader Senator Steve Fielding said today.

Media reports today suggest the Rudd Government is considering banning daytime alcohol ads on free-to-air television.  Pressure from Family First and industry lobby groups is pushing the Rudd Government to move on this issue.

Senator Fielding is also sceptical about the government’s alcopop tax as an effective means of addressing the scourge of binge drinking and is considering withdrawing support for the tax.

“The Rudd government’s lack of commitment to other measures like implementing alcohol health warning labels and banning all alcohol ads from appearing during daytime TV, suggests this alcopops tax is just a blatant billion dollar tax grab,” Senator Fielding said.

“Family First believes we must change our culture in Australia, which celebrates alcohol and accepts drunkenness and binge drinking, and create a responsible drinking culture.

“If the Rudd Government is serious about creating a culture of responsible drinking AND it wants to prove the alcopops tax is not just a tax grab, it should also introduce alcohol warning labels to alcopops and all other alcohol products. 

“Alcohol ads are already restricted from running on TV until after 8.30pm. But there is a crazy ‘loophole’ in the law that exempts live sport, so alcohol ads can run at any time of the day on weekends and public holidays.”