Industry joins forces to back government alcohol awareness

Companies are showing a united front in support of the UK government, following the release of the chief British medical officer’s Guidance on the Consumption of Alcohol by Children and Young People report.

SABMiller, one of the world’s largest brewers, has released a statement praising the government for the report. Kristin Wolfe, head of alcohol policy at SABMiller, said: “It’s important that children know where their parents stand, that underage drinking is not acceptable. The chief medical officer’s advice is an important contribution to reducing the harm caused by underage drinking and will hopefully contribute to making a real difference.”

Meanwhile drinks company Diageo has also released a statement with a similar message of praise and thanks of the government. Its statement read: “Diageo welcomes the consultation on the new medical guidance outlined today by the chief medical officer. This is a mature response by the government in trying to tackle a serious problem.“

The statement continued, "Diageo supports the Drinkaware Trust’s work to help combat underage drinking. We support and provide funding towards three programmes aimed at providing education for young people on alcohol delivered solely by third parties. We believe it will take a joined-up approach from a range of partners, coupled with well-considered measures to make a significant difference to underage drinking and to the role of alcohol in society.”

While in Scotland, an agreement drawn up by the Scottish Government and Alcohol Industry Partnership will prevent drinks companies from sponsoring events aimed at young people in the future. In order to promote safer drinking, the guidelines state that 75% of the audience must be over 18 if drink sponsorship is to take place.

Finally, Langguth, the owners of Blue Nun will launch its 1glass:1unit campaign later this month in an effort to educate consumers on the number of alcohol units contained in a glass of wine. Marketing director Armin Wagner said that the campaign, which will be communicated in a major on-pack promotion later this month, “will appeal to consumers looking to enjoy a great glass of wine and [is an] an easy way to monitor unit consumption”.

Jane Parkinson, 04.02.09