The Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI) has once again spoken out against the Public Health Alcohol Bill, and said that the advertising restrictions will harm the Irish drinks industry.
The ABFI highlighted that its terms 'make Ireland one of the most restrictive countries in the world for marketing alcohol products'.
The Bill places extensive restrictions on the placement of alcohol advertising, including the banning of drinks advertisements in public parks, on public transport, and within 200 metres of school grounds.
"Although the principles behind the Alcohol Bill are well intentioned, the impact of the advertising restrictions will have devastating consequences for the drinks industry in Ireland." Patricia Callan ABFI director said.
Callan highlighted that the Bill will make it extremely difficult for all drinks companies to advertise their products, and is particularly harmful for small producers and new entrants who have invested heavily in breweries and distilleries across Ireland and have less brand awareness.
Where content is concerned, restrictions will ban the following imagery from being included in alcohol advertisements: Conviviality – such as scenes in an Irish pub; A person consuming an alcohol product; people and animals and also images involving a story or action sequence – aside from the alcohol production process.
It will also ban the showing of Guinness's iconic Christmas advert.
"This Bill will make it extremely difficult to establish new products in Ireland and ultimately harms the drinks industry's innovation, export and growth potential." She said.
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
