ALCOHOL & ADVERTISING: THE DEBATE IS ON. THE PROBLEM IS ABUSE, ESPECIALLY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NO CULTURE OF DRINKING. TALK OF BANS AND BEVERAGE COLOSSALS’ COMMITMENTS IN THE UK AND THE U.S. IS REVISING RULES ONLINE

Advertising alcoholic beverages is, undoubtedly, a difficult issue, especially in the Mediterranean where there is no culture of drinking. Drinking is instead tied very closely to mealtime and alcoholism is a social burden. It is the hottest issue on important markets for wine, such as the United Kingdom.

In England the Cameron Government is trying various ways to limit alcohol abuse. The new law on the minimum price of alcohol will soon go into effect and now there is talk about limiting or prohibiting advertising alcoholic beverages. A ban will not change the amount of alcohol people consume but at best which "brand" of alcoholic drink they choose, revealed a UK research agency, "G2 Joshua", which interviewed 2.000 people. 90%, with or without advertising, would not change the amount of cups, pints or "shots" consumed. In another important market, the United States, there are questions about how to regulate the immense amount of alcohol advertising on social networks, now ubiquitous, especially among the young.
From the last analysis on alcohol advertising of the "Federal Trade Commission" (Facebook was in its infancy and Twitter did not yet exist), an organization to protect U.S. consumers and a lobby in the Federal government, it pointed its finger primarily on content since it was available also to minors. It has now started a new study that once completed, says the Director of the Centre on “Alcohol Marketing and Youth" at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, David Jernigan, "will guide the Federal Trade Commission on how the alcohol industry should be regulated on-line and otherwise”.
Meanwhile, the issue of whether it is correct or not for beverage companies to convey messages about public health, has been dealt with in an investigation promoted by the UK magazine "Just Drinks", or if there is a risk of "conflict of interests.” Diageo, one of the world giants of wine & spirits, responded: "the irresponsible consumption of alcohol is bad for business. That's why we invest in campaigns for consumer awareness, to protect our brand as well".