Alcohol adverts and sponsorship deals 'should be banned'

A total ban on alcohol advertising, happy hours and sponsorship of music and sport events by drinks firms has been recommended by doctors. A report by the British Medical Association (BMA) has made the suggestions. It says young people are particularly affected by the ads, which encourages them to binge-drink and take up cheap promotions. The BMA's study, called Under The Influence, said alcohol consumption in the UK has "increased rapidly" in recent years amongst all age groups. It blames advertising, heavy discounting and 24-hour licensing laws. The report said marketing campaigns "dwarf health promotion efforts: the UK alcohol industry spends approximately £800 million each year encouraging consumption."

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ITN | September 8, 2009

Tags:. .bma. .music. .young. .sponsorship. .consumption