Harold Coop says intensive marketing and international trends add to the binge-drinking problem.

Published in the New Zealand Herald 16-12-04

The season of peace and good swill approaches, and I doubt if many kiwi parents, grandparents ,or politicians realise how cleverly our kids are targeted, even from overseas.

Nor, I think, does the Hon. Damien O'Connor, Associate Health Minister responsible for alcohol policies. In a reply to the Herald, he promulgated the liquor industry's line that it benefits from and supports moderate drinking. He actually seemed to believe that. Why then would the industry target those very groups who have trouble with moderation, - Maori, Polynesians, and young people? The images of Rottweilers with sunglasses, the young man returning to the whanau, the chinheads, are the result of sophisticated psychological research.

Our Group Against Liquor Advertising (not prohibitionist) submitted a petition to the Health Select Committee, where it received minority support by the Greens, and some other MPs. The government now has 90 days finally to decide about a full inquiry, and some facts should be aired.

(A full enquiry was later agreed to)

Scottish university researchers have chillingly described how the industry "devises a unique marketing strategy" for 11-14 and 15-17 year olds. The first group responds to highly coloured labels, fruity flavours, wacky names and humour. By 15 that's kids' stuff. Now they want real brand names, adult packaging, and increased price is OK. Both groups want ready-to-drink screw tops. Both are under-age, but they'll obtain these tailored products from older siblings or illegally.

How can these European industry promoters sleep at night? They are pushers; the products they worked out are on our shelves, and your kids are in their sights.

Our international affiliates, the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA on the web),published 18 months in advance the next international strategy. " The industry will try to infiltrate what should be independent boards set up to advise governments." Sure enough, the industry here requested a seat on the Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC.) Their argument was that ALAC is financed from tax on liquor, so they should have a seat on that council.

That's fairly close to the argument Mr. O'Connor uses to congratulate the industry on "shouldering the increased levy to allow a moderation campaign to proceed." Does this levy prove the industry is good at heart and genuinely wants moderation, or is there a snag? You bet there is.

First, research shows the 10% of heaviest drinkers consume 50% of all alcohol. The industry depends on them for profits.

Second, our affiliates published a table listing all the measures tried worldwide to lessen alcohol harm. Tax, raised drinking age, curbed advertising,and less availability are effective. Regrettably, research shows educational campaigns supporting moderation aren't . They cannot be, when most countries achieve at best a one in ten advertisement ratio of moderation to promotion, and the latter expenditure is huge.

Next, they listed the measures the alcohol industry has supported, and those they opposed. Guess what? There was an exact correlation as you'd expect .The industry highly opposes effective measures, and trumpets their support of others, as we're seeing here, to impress the public.

Liquor advertising is self-regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority. But their recent review brought TV evening advertising forward from 9pm to 8.30 pm, against the National Alcohol Strategy, and against opinion from the Ministry of Health and ALAC, and with our country's worsening situation? Web-sites show ample evidence from important organizations such as WHO, governments, and the AMA, about the effect of alcohol promotion on young people.

So is this an ethical industry keen on moderation, not on more consumption and profit? Ethical? At that review, a major brewery claimed their proposed looser code had been "reviewed and endorsed by Hugh Rennie QC, a top legal mind." What Mr Rennie actually wrote was that code language should be unambiguous (we agree); then he added, "What should be permitted and what should be prohibited is a separate issue, and not one on which I am either asked to advise, or specially qualified to do so. "

There is a voluntary code for advertisements. It says " They must not imply social or sexual success for young people." "Her butt walked into my hand - yeah, right" i.e. you'll be cool and sexy if you drink our beer. This principle is regularly cleverly flouted.

There's a completely ineffective self-regulated mechanism for complaints These are dismissed with specious arguments, or decisions delayed until the damage is done.

Obviously promotion of alcohol is only part of the problem. But politicians are merely tinkering with minor adjustments. They won't properly review and discipline an extremely powerful, callous industry and a whole alcohol promotion culture in this country. So the problems in binge drinking, teenage alcohol hospitalisations, crime, traffic accidents, date rape, and domestic violence so often alcohol associated, will worsen.

Matt Robson, MP, described the liquor industry lobbyists with their expensive functions as "among the most influential visitors to Parliament."(NZ Herald 22.11.04 ,A16)

The first class-actions against alcohol have now been filed in the USA (www.bigalcohol.com)

Let's hope the government will ignore the industry lobbyists and make the final decision for a proper Select Committee inquiry into advertising and sponsorship including a drinking age review also, and not fail our young people.

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Dr Harold Coop, a former Auckland eye surgeon, is a committee member of the Group Against Liquor Advertising