30th March 2021. From Miragenews.
In Australia, the Cancer Council has released a report which examines how the industry-run Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) Scheme responded to alcohol marketing during the pandemic. Still, it demonstrates how the industry failed to protect the community from alcohol advertising during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chair of the Cancer Council Alcohol Working Group, Julia Stafford, said the ABAC Panel seemed to give no consideration to the impact the pandemic was having on the Australian community, with many individuals and families in our experiencing significant amounts of stress and anxiety due to the pandemic”.
MS Stafford continued: ““Yet the ABAC Panel decided that promoting alcohol via isolation deals and lockdown survival packs was no different to referencing Christmas, the summer season or footy finals… comparing the global health crisis with summer and the festive shows”.
Alcohol ads including the phrases ‘Stay In. Drink Up’, ‘survival kits’, and ‘all day every day’ were deemed acceptable and complaints which raised significant concerns about alcohol promotions during the COVID-19 pandemic were dismissed.
This happens when alcohol companies regulate themselves; accordingly, MS Stafford said it was time for the Australian Government to introduce independent, legislated controls that protect the Australian community from harmful alcohol marketing, both during a pandemic and in the future.
You can find the whole article in the following link: https://www.miragenews.com/ineffective-alcohol-advertising-watchdog-says-536607/.