A cross-party committee of MPs has demanded tougher controls over alcohol advertising.
The House of Commons health select committee said the government’s response to the rise of binge drinking had been “ineffectual” and claimed supermarkets and the drinks industry have more influence on government alcohol regulations than health experts.
The committee called for a ban on the television advertising of alcoholic drinks before 9pm.
The report also recommended banning alcohol promotions on billboards or posters within 100 metres of schools and on websites.
The committee criticised the lack of public health messages in drinks advertising and suggested 20% of TV ads by alcohol suppliers should be dedicated to health messages.
The series of tough measures proposed also included alcohol advertising to be banned in films under an 18 rating.
It recommended that no medium should advertise alcoholic drinks if more than 10% of its readership or audience is under 18 years of age. Current rules stipulate a 25% threshold. The 10% rule would also apply to the sponsorship of events, which the MPs said were not properly regulated.
The report called for a comprehensive shake-up of the regulation of alcohol marketing, which is currently shared by the Advertising Standards Authority and the industry-funded Portman Group.
It said the regulation of alcohol promotion should be “completely independent of the alcohol and advertising industries”.
The committee also reiterated its call for a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol.
