Last but not least: drink until the lawmakers come
Bans on alcohol advertising are currently on the rise again. It is very revealing that such bans are implemented even when they serve no purpose at all.
Far-reaching advertising bans for alcoholic beverages in electronic media are currently booming again among lawmakers. In France, the National Assembly approved a bill this week that aims to make the sale of alcohol to young people more restrictive. In the same breath, parliament has adopted far-reaching restrictions on alcohol advertising on the internet. The background to this is the (alleged or actual) increase in excessive binge drinking among young people.
In Switzerland, the Council of States will have to deal with a similar bill next week. As part of the media agreement, it will also discuss the issue of advertising for light alcoholic beverages, whereby the Stöckli's preliminary consultation telecommunications committee has requested that advertising for beer, sour cider and wine be banned in all electronic media.
In a letter, the Interessengemeinschaft elektronische Medien (IGEM) opposes this proposal. As the media agreement has not yet been concluded, it remains to be seen whether foreign advertising windows will also have to comply with Swiss regulations. If not, the Swiss media would be disadvantaged by such bans.
The IGEM also writes that advertising for alcohol has no influence on the drinking behavior of the population. This is shown by the examples of Germany and Finland. In Germany, alcohol consumption has been falling for years with less restrictive alcohol advertising laws, whereas in Finland consumption has also been rising for years despite restrictive advertising laws.
To summarize the latest wave of alcohol advertising bans: the advertising industry is being punished for something it didn't cause, legislators are passing laws that are useless, and young people continue to drink anyway. Grand opera.
In Switzerland, the Council of States will have to deal with a similar bill next week. As part of the media agreement, it will also discuss the issue of advertising for light alcoholic beverages, whereby the Stöckli's preliminary consultation telecommunications committee has requested that advertising for beer, sour cider and wine be banned in all electronic media.
In a letter, the Interessengemeinschaft elektronische Medien (IGEM) opposes this proposal. As the media agreement has not yet been concluded, it remains to be seen whether foreign advertising windows will also have to comply with Swiss regulations. If not, the Swiss media would be disadvantaged by such bans.
The IGEM also writes that advertising for alcohol has no influence on the drinking behavior of the population. This is shown by the examples of Germany and Finland. In Germany, alcohol consumption has been falling for years with less restrictive alcohol advertising laws, whereas in Finland consumption has also been rising for years despite restrictive advertising laws.
To summarize the latest wave of alcohol advertising bans: the advertising industry is being punished for something it didn't cause, legislators are passing laws that are useless, and young people continue to drink anyway. Grand opera.
