UK MINISTERS WEIGH BAN ON ALCOHOL ADS TO CURB YOUTH APPEAL – Plans include a possible total ban on alcohol promotions before 9 pm and online
In a move that could reshape the face of Britain’s media and marketing, ministers are considering sweeping new restrictions on alcohol advertising, including a possible total ban on alcohol promotions before 9 pm and online.
The government is reportedly exploring a series of “partial restrictions” aimed at aligning alcohol marketing rules with those already in place for junk food. If adopted, the rules could usher in a ban on alcohol ads across all online platforms, including influencer-led promotions and social media environments heavily trafficked by teens and young adults.
Under proposals similar to those for high-fat, salt, and sugar products, advertisers would be prohibited from targeting any platform where at least 25% of the audience is under the age of 16. Ads that appear to use youth slang, trendy music, or celebrity endorsements are likely to resonate with younger viewers and would also be outlawed. Currently, these kinds of content restrictions are part of self-regulated guidelines, not the law, but that may soon change.
Health officials have long warned that alcohol marketing disproportionately influences young people and contributes to harmful drinking habits. In January, Ireland introduced a similar watershed ban, blocking alcohol adverts on TV between 3 am and 9 pm. And in 2022, the World Health Organisation backed global restrictions to limit youth exposure to alcohol promotion
