​Campaigners call for stricter regulation of alcohol advertising

Campaigners are demanding action is taken to ensure children are not exposed to alcohol advertising.

Alcohol Focus Scotland says children were not being protected enough by current advertising guidelines to the extent some children were more aware of beer brands than biscuits or crisps.

It comes as a new brand recognition survey found Foster's lager was recognised by 95% 10 and 11-year-olds.

This ranked above McVitie's biscuits, McCoy's crisps and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

The survey also found that 79% of the 10 and 11-year-olds recognised the Foster's characters "Brad and Dan" from the TV commercial.

More than three quarters (79%) recognised Smirnoff and two-thirds (66%) knew WKD, the survey claimed.

And it said more than half of the children (55%) associated Carling with football.

Alcohol Focus Scotland, Alcohol Concern, Balance North East and Drink Wise say the findings are more evidence that the current codes are inadequate and are failing to prevent under 18s from absorbing alcohol marketing messages on TV, online and in the cinema.

Alcohol companies claim only to advertise their products to adults, but children are consuming the same media

They are calling for alcohol advertising to be restricted to factual information in adult press, cinema advertising only to be allowed for 18 certificate films, and the phased removal of alcohol sponsorships.

In the longer term, a ban on alcohol advertising and sponsorship is the only way to protect children from alcohol marketing.

Professor Gerard Hastings, Alcohol Focus Scotland board member and founder of the Institute of Social Marketing at the University of Stirling, said: “This research shows that alcohol marketing is clearly making an impression on our children.

“Existing evidence shows that exposure to alcohol marketing leads young people to start drinking at an earlier age and to drink more.

“Alcohol companies claim only to advertise their products to adults, but children are consuming the same media and taking in the same pro-alcohol messages as adults.

“We will be pressing the government to take effective action to make sure children are not regularly exposed to marketing messages for an adult product which causes so much damage to health and society.”

The survey was carried out during October-December 2014. In Scotland, 192 children were surveyed.