Health chiefs call time on drinks ads.

4th November 2016

Stockport health and social care leaders are calling for changes to rules on alcohol advertising on television.

NHS Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group and Stockport Council are backing the “See What Sam Sees” campaign which is calling for a 9pm watershed for alcohol adverts to protect children.

Currently around half of all alcohol adverts on television are screened before the 9pm watershed.

Dr Vicci Owen-Smith, Clinical Director of Public Health at NHS Stockport CCG said:  “If we have to have alcohol advertising on television, there appears to be no good reason why it is shown before 9pm when impressionable children may be watching.

“We have known for a long time that excessive alcohol consumption is very harmful to a person’s health so why expose children to adverts that extoll the virtues of drinking.

“The problem is that many adults are simply not aware that their level of drinking is excessive so how can we expect children to understand this.”

Councillor Colin Foster , Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Children and Family Services said , said: “As a local authority we are keen to do everything we can to protect the health of our children and young people.

“Alcohol has a very damaging effect on our communities yet our children are bombarded with alcohol marketing from a very early age. Half of all alcohol adverts on TV are screened before 9pm. This is not acceptable.”

Andrea Crossfield from Healthier Futures, which is running the campaign, said: “The more advertising children see, the younger they start drinking and the heavier they drink.

The public are shocked by the amount of alcohol advertising our children are exposed to and want action on this issue.”