Zero-alcohol ads and sport sponsorship 'may be breaking the law'
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Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) said these products use the same logo and trademark of the parent alcohol brand and claim this breaches Irish health legislation.
The Department of Health said minister Stephen Donnelly had asked officials, as reported in May 2023, to review if advertisements for zero-alcohol products were being used to promote full-strength brands.
The department told the it was examining the evidence base “with a view to developing legislation”, but said any issue on legal enforcement of the law was up to local HSE environment health officers.
AAI said that while alcohol advertising is banned on a sports pitch during a game, communications for zero-alcohol versions were common throughout the Six Nations rugby tournament which finished at the weekend.
It said that, under the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, “advertising” means any form of commercial communication with the aim, or direct or indirect effect, of promoting an alcohol product.
In a statement, the AAI said: “Sect 15 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 bans alcohol advertising “in or on the sports field of play” during a sports event, but to watch the Six Nations rugby tournament you would not know there had been any change to the law.
“This is because the industry simply tacked a 0.0 onto its commercial communications, a move which Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has described [in May 2023] as ‘cynical’.”
It said the alcohol industry must be challenged over its alleged “continued and egregious flouting of the law”.
The CEO of AAI, Sheila Gilheany, said: “A case must be taken to test this in court. We would be keen to find out if the HSE and/or the Department of Health is going to take action on this and if not, why not.
AAI said research showed that alcohol brand references are occurring at a rate of one in every eight seconds during high profile rugby matches — a sport, the charity claimed, which appears “to have been entirely captured by alcohol”.
It said Diageo’s alcohol brand Guinness now also sponsors the women’s Six Nations rugby tournament, which begins this week.
The HSE referred queries on the matter to the Department of Health.
In a statement, the department said: “Enforcement of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act is a matter for the designated enforcement authority, the Environmental Health Service of the Health Service Executive.
“The Minister for Health has asked officials to review if advertisements for zero-alcohol products are being used to promote full-strength brands. The Department of Health is examining the evidence base with a view to developing legislation.”
In a statement, Drinks Ireland said: “AAI consistently ignores the evidence concerning Ireland’s evolving relationship with alcohol and continues to promote a baffling policy that sees them advocate for both reduced consumption and against products that allow consumers to reduce or moderate their alcohol consumption. Zero alcohol alternatives are in growing demand amongst consumers. They offer choice that supports moderation.
"Official Irish data continues to show that overall alcohol consumption in Ireland is falling, down by close to a third in the last 20 years. A recent OECD report shows Ireland’s average alcohol consumption now stands below that of the United States, the United Kingdom and 18 other European countries, including Spain, France and Germany."
It said consumers "are drinking in a more balanced and moderate way, and choosing zero-alcohol alternatives of their favourite brands as part of that trend".
"Consumers are making the choice and the demand for zero-alcohol alternatives is growing rapidly in Ireland. Industry has responded with major innovation in the development of quality zero-alcohol products. The year 2023 saw increased investment in the production of zero-alcohol products by companies as real consumer demand grows.
"If producers want to further foster this category, they must be allowed to advertise. These adverts abide by the laws and strict codes already in place in Ireland and are intended for and marketed to adults as an alternative that supports moderation.”