It’s not fair play: Why alcohol must leave sport · II It’s not fair play: Why alcohol must leave sport Foreword “With great power comes great responsibility” - Spider-Man

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It’s not fair play: Why alcohol must leave sport

It’s not fair play:Why alcohol must leave sport


McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth and Cancer Council Western Australia

Published September 2017

The Alcohol Advertising Review Board operates with support from health organisations around Australia.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth.

© McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, 2017

ISBN 978-0-6480217-4-2

Foreword ......................................................................................................................................................ii

Alcohol Advertising Review Board ..............................................................................................................iii

Australians and sport ................................................................................................................................... 1

Impact of alcohol marketing on children and young people ........................................................................ 2

Community concern around alcohol marketing and sport ........................................................................... 2

Public opinion survey ........................................................................................................................ 2

Complaints about alcohol marketing and sport ................................................................................. 3

How do marketers link alcohol with sport? ................................................................................................. 6

Alcohol ads on TV during sport programs ......................................................................................... 6

Sponsorship ...................................................................................................................................... 7

Sport themes in alcohol ads .............................................................................................................. 7

Recommendations from health organisations and government committees ............................................. 8

Current regulatory situation ......................................................................................................................... 8

Approaches to addressing alcohol marketing and sport in Australia and internationally ........................... 10

Recommendations .................................................................................................................................... 11

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 11

References ................................................................................................................................................ 12

Contents

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Foreword

“With great power comes great responsibility”- Spider-Man

When it comes to alcohol, sport in Australia must seriously consider its responsibility to the welfare of kids and young adults in light of the enormous power it wields.

More than a million children aged 17 and under watched the AFL and NRL Grand finals and the first State of Origin League match last year. Another 630,00 young people between 18 and 24 also viewed those three telecasts. All of them exposed to alcohol advertising and sponsorship.

When years of longitudinal studies repeatedly confirm that exposure to such messages not only influence young attitudes on drinking, but actually increase the likelihood of alcohol consumption and the quantities consumed, sport can no longer continue its active role in affecting our vulnerable youth with blind irresponsibility.

The media, legislators and even the alcohol industry have proven to be incapable of refraining from promoting harmful alcohol advertising to our children. It is now up to sport to act.

Athletes and sports administrators must understand the enormity of their responsibility given the tremendous influence they have on the hearts and minds of the young.

The life-span of athletes, coaches, and, indeed, sports administrators can be quite brief. When that privileged tenure has ended, how will we measure our accomplishments. For long after the final siren has sounded, it is the lives we’ve changed that matter most. The true test is whether those changes have been for the better or worse.

Above all my personal achievements in sports administration, I consider few greater than the eradication of alcohol from any involvement with the Perth Wildcats.

It is now up to the more powerful and wealthy sports such as cricket, rugby league and motor racing, who rank very poorly in this area, to show leadership by walking away from alcohol – especially in light of their enormous revenues from media and other healthy sponsors.

Of course, there will be a cost. But what price shall we place on the welfare of future generations?

Nick MarvinFormer CEO and Managing Director, Perth Wildcats and Perth LynxFormer Chairman National Basketball League

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Alcohol Advertising Review Board

The Alcohol Advertising Review Board (AARB) considers and reviews complaints from the Australian community about alcohol advertising. The AARB was developed by the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth and Cancer Council Western Australia, supported by other health organisations, in response to the numerous weaknesses of the current self-regulatory alcohol advertising system.

The AARB reviews complaints on the basis of the Alcohol Advertising Review Board Code (the Code), which sets criteria for acceptable alcohol advertising in Australia. The Code aims to ensure alcohol advertising (i) is socially responsible, (ii) neither conflicts with nor detracts from the need for responsibility and moderation in liquor merchandising and consumption, and (iii) does not encourage young people to drink. The Code, which is primarily constructed using provisions from existing codes established by alcohol industry bodies from around the world, can be found at www.alcoholadreview.com.au.

In its five years of operation, the AARB received a substantial number of complaints about alcohol marketing related to sport, comprising around one-third of all complaints. This report highlights the extent of community concern around alcohol marketing and sport, and calls on the Federal Government to address this unhealthy association to protect children and young people.

are concerned about children’s current level of exposure to

alcohol promotion.

4 in 5 Australians

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Australians and sportAustralians and sport go hand in hand. An estimated 5.2 million Australians aged 15 years and over are involved in organised sport and physical activity.1 Australians also like to watch sport on TV, with the AFL Grand Final Game and Presentations, NRL Grand Final, and all three State of Origin matches being the most watched programs on TV in 2016.2

Children and young people also share in our country’s love of sport. Sport clubs are the primary avenue for children to be active in Australia.3 Around 60% of children aged 5 – 14 years participate in at least one organised sport outside of school hours.4 Sports including AFL, cricket, rugby league, and rugby union are all in the top 20 activities for children.3 Hundreds of thousands of children participate in these sports.3 For example, around 125,000 children aged 5 – 14 years play rugby league, over a quarter of a million play cricket, and over 350,000 play AFL. Almost 200,000 children participated in the NAB AFL Auskick program in 2016, with more than 23,500 Auskick participants having the opportunity to play at an official AFL venue on game-day as part of the half-time program.5

Children also enjoy watching sport on TV. Ratings data, outlined in Table 1, show that hundreds of thousands of Australian children and young people watch sport on TV. Nine of the top 10 programs watched by children aged 0 – 17 years between April 2016 and March 2017 were sports-related.

Table 1: Summary of OzTAM free-to-air TV sports audience data between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017.

Sports Total audiencea 0 – 17 yrs 18 – 24 yrs % of audience aged under 18 yrs

AFL GRAND FINAL 3,070,496 428,231 199,324 13.9%

STATE OF ORIGIN RUGBY LEAGUE NSW v QLD 2,732,657 359,103 256,461 13.1%- 1ST MATCH

RUGBY LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2,662,997 339,448 179,384 12.7%

RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES: DAY 9 1,052,024 177,748 64,805 16.9%

TENNIS: 2017 AUSTRALIAN OPEN - MEN'S FINAL 2,686,106 171,825 199,866 6.4%

CRICKET: BIG BASH LEAGUE GAME 2 - SESSION 1 867,002 137,480 52,118 15.7%

SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP: BATHURST D3 RACE 1,007,320 93,788 37,044 9.3%

Unfortunately, many sports that are popular with children also receive alcohol sponsorship at a national level and promote alcohol brands on team uniforms and fields/stadiums.6 Research analysing unhealthy sponsorship of Australian national and state sporting organisations found rugby union to have the highest number of alcohol sponsors, followed by cricket and rugby league.7 A recent analysis found rugby league and cricket to have the highest visibility of alcohol promotion through sponsorship, naming rights, and alcohol logos on uniforms, fields/stadiums, and press conference backdrops.6 In 2017, 15 of the 18 AFL teams were sponsored by alcohol companies.8

a. Audience numbers from five metro cities in Australia.

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Impact of alcohol marketing on children and young peopleIt is well established that alcohol marketing has an impact on young people. Exposure to alcohol advertising influences young people’s beliefs and attitudes about drinking, and increases the likelihood that adolescents will start to use alcohol and will drink more if they are already using alcohol.9, 10

There is also evidence that exposure to alcohol sponsorship of sport impacts on drinking behaviours and attitudes.11 Alcohol sponsorship of sport has been associated with increased alcohol consumption12 and hazardous drinking among those sportspeople sponsored in Australia.13 Research shows children absorb sports sponsorship messages, with 76% of children aged 5 to 12 years able to correctly match at least one sport with its relevant sponsor.14

Community concern around alcohol marketing and sport

Public opinion survey Community surveys show strong public concern about the connection between alcohol and sport, and support for stronger regulation of alcohol marketing. In July 2017, the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth commissioned independent market research to explore public opinion on alcohol marketing. Based on a nationally representative sample of 1,050 Australian adults, the survey found:

• 90% of Australian adults believe children and young people are at least sometimes exposed to alcohol promotion; 50% believe they are heavily or very heavily exposed.

• 80% of Australian adults are concerned about children’s current level of exposure to alcohol promotion.

• 84% of Australian adults believe children who watch sport on TV are at least sometimes exposed to alcohol promotion; 50% believe they are frequently or very frequently exposed to alcohol promotion.

Children’s exposure to alcohol promotion elicits a high level of community concern. On the issue of alcohol sponsorship of sport, the survey found:

• 60% of Australian adults think it is not acceptable for alcohol to be promoted in connection with sport; only 20% think it is acceptable.

• 71% of Australian adults think it is not appropriate for alcohol ads to feature sport stars that are popular with children; only 12% think it is appropriate.

The evidence shows that exposure to alcohol sponsorship of sport impacts on drinking behaviours and attitudes.11

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• Less than 30% of Australian adults think popular sports such as AFL, NRL and cricket are doing enough to promote healthy messages to the community.

• Less than a quarter of Australian adults think motor sports should be able to promote alcohol.

When questioned about possible ways to address the issue, respondents were supportive of stronger regulation of alcohol marketing, with opposition expressed by only a small minority:

• 71% of Australian adults support using legal controls to reduce children’s exposure to alcohol promotion, with only 6% opposed.

• 77% of Australian adults support phasing out TV ads for alcohol during sports broadcasts in children’s viewing times, with only 7% opposed.

• 63% of Australian adults support phasing out the promotion of alcohol through sports sponsorship, with only 13% opposed.

Previous research has found parents believe the least appropriate companies to sponsor children’s and elite sport were alcohol-related companies, including pubs and clubs.15 Many athletes themselves do not want to promote alcohol, with research showing the majority of Australian athletes do not support elite athletes promoting junk food or alcohol products.16

Complaints about alcohol marketing and sport The following figures provide an analysis of complaints about alcohol marketing and sport received by the AARB in its five years of operation, from 16 March 2012 to 10 March 2017.

Table 2 summarises the volume of complaints received by the AARB in five years and those that related to sport. Alcohol ads were considered to be related to sport if:

• Theadrelatedtoalcoholsponsorshipofsport;• TheadwasonTVduringasportsbroadcast;• Theadfeaturedsport-relatedcontent;• Theadwasplacedalongsidesport-relatedcontent;or• Thecomplainant,SteeringCommittee,orPanelraisedconcernsaboutthelinkbetweenalcohol and sport.

Table 2: Total complaints and sport-related complaints received by the AARB in five years

A third of all complaints received by the AARB were related to sport, indicating there is significant community concern around the link between alcohol and sport.

Alcohol marketers promote their products in connection with sport in many different ways. Table 3 highlights the forms of alcohol marketing that were the subject of sport-related complaints.

No. of complaints % of complaints All complaints 939 100Sport-related complaints 305 32

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Table 3: Forms of alcohol marketing that were the subject of sport-related complaints

Around two-thirds of the sport-related complaints were about alcohol sponsorship of sport. Ads classified as ‘sponsorship’ included:

• Signageatsportsevents(e.g.onthefield,aroundtheground,inthechangerooms);• Logosonuniformsorequipment(e.g.brandedracingcars,cricketstumps);• Commentaryduringsportsgamesorsponsored‘adbreaks’duringTVcoverageofsport;• Sponsorlogosonsportswebsites;• Limitededitionproductpackaginglinkedtospecificsportingcodes;• TVorprintadsthatfeaturesportsplayersorarerelatedtosponsorshipofaparticularsport;• Adsinmobilephoneappsoremailsthatarerelatedtosponsorship;or• Otheradvertisingrelatedtosponsorshipbyabrand,suchasbrandedclothing.

Tables 4 and 5 outline the sports and brands to which the 198 sponsorship complaints related.

Table 4: Sports to which sponsorship complaints related

No. of complaints Sport sponsorship by an alcohol brand 198TV ads during daytime sports programming on free-to-air TV on weekends 39Sport theme in alcohol ad 35TV ads on pay TV during sports programming 27Alcohol ad placed alongside sport-related content 7TV ad during sports programming outside watershed time 3TV ad during sports programming (network not specified) 1General concerns about the link between alcohol marketing and sport 2Total 312*

* The table adds up to more than 305 (the total number of sport-related complaints) as some complaints covered more than one category (e.g. a TV ad that featured sport-related content broadcast during a sports program on a weekend).

Sport No. of complaints Cricket 43Motor racing 42AFL 40NRL 39Rugby union 7Soccer 7Tennis 6Snowboarding 4Surfing 4Hockey 1Swimming 1Did not refer to a specific sport 4Total 198

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Over 80% of the complaints about alcohol sponsorship of sport related to cricket, motor racing, AFL, and NRL combined. These are popular sports among young people. The AFL and NRL Grand Finals were in the top five programs watched by children aged 0 – 17 years in 2016-17, and cricket and motor racing broadcasts attracted tens of thousands of young viewers.17 The high number of complaints received in relation to these sports is in line with the level of community concern shown in public opinion surveys. The majority of Australian adults don’t think AFL, NRL, and cricket are doing enough to promote healthy messages to the community, and over half think motor sports should not be able to promote alcohol.18

Table 5: Alcohol brands to which sponsorship complaints related

Brand Company No. of complaints

VB CUB 44Carlton Draught CUB 30Coopers Coopers Brewery 14XXXX Lion 13Jim Beam Beam Suntory 12The Bottle-O ALM 10Toohey’s New Lion 9Jack Daniel’s Brown-Forman 8Bundaberg Rum Diageo 7Carlton Dry CUB 7Lemon Ed Hard Lemonade Vok Beverages 6Carlton Mid CUB 6West End Draught Lion 5Hardy’s Wine Accolade Wines 5BWS Endeavour Drinks Group 4Cellarbrations ALM 4Hahn Super Dry Lion 4Wild Turkey Campari 4Woodstock Bourbon Asahi Premium Beverages 4Bottlemart Liquor Marketing Group 2Canadian Club Beam Suntory 2Corona Extra Lion 1Heineken Lion 1Jacob’s Creek Pernod Ricard 1Liquorland Wesfarmers 1Magners Cider Bacardi Lion 1McWilliams Wines McWilliam’s Wines 1Royal Stag Pernod Ricard 1Southern Comfort Brown-Forman 1Strongbow CUB 1 Total 209*

*The total is more than 198 as some complaints related to more than one brand (e.g. VB and XXXX sponsorship of NRL).

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Table 5 shows 30 alcohol brands received complaints about their sponsorship of sport. Beer brands received the most complaints about sport sponsorship, with 11 different brands sponsoring sport and 134 complaints received. This was followed by spirits (8 brands and 39 complaints), liquor retailers (5 brands and 21 complaints), wine (3 brands and 7 complaints), cider (2 brands and 2 complaints), and an alcoholic lemonade (Lemon Ed with 6 complaints).

CUB brands received the most sponsorship complaints over the five years (88 complaints), with VB and Carlton Draught both receiving more complaints than any other brand. VB is a major sponsor of NRL and cricket, and has sponsored Surfing Australia through the ‘VB Boardriders Club’. Carlton Draught is a major sponsor of AFL. However, changes to sponsorship arrangements in 2017 have seen CUB end their sponsorship of Australian cricket19 and cease their front-of-jersey naming rights of the VB NSW Blues in the NRL.20 While this may seem like positive news, Lion quickly stepped in to take CUB’s place. XXXX Gold will become the official beer of the Australian cricket team19 and Toohey’s will become the official beer of the NSW Blues.21 Lion was second to CUB in the most sponsorship complaints received over the five years (33 complaints), and these latest sponsorship changes are likely to impact the brands that attract the most complaints in the coming years.

How do marketers link alcohol with sport?With millions of Australians participating in and watching sport, it is not surprising that alcohol marketers closely link their products with sport. As seen by the wide variety of complaints received by the AARB, alcohol marketers use sport to promote their brands in a number of ways including ads placed on TV during sports programming, sponsorship, and sporting themes in alcohol ads.

Alcohol ads on TV during sports programming Children and young people are exposed to high levels of alcohol advertising when watching sport on TV.22 Research shows there are significantly more alcohol ads per hour in daytime sports programs on Australian TV than in non-sport TV later in the day.23 The popular sporting codes attract the majority of the alcohol ads; in 2012 there were 3544 alcohol ads in televised AFL, cricket, and NRL, representing 60% of all alcohol advertising in sport TV.22

The sheer volume of alcohol ads during sport programs is concerning as ratings data show hundreds of thousands of Australian children and young people watch sport on TV. Up to 17% of the viewing audience for major sporting events in 2016 and 2017 was under the age of 18.17

AARB complaint: Beer ad during 2016 AFL Grand Final broadcastThe AARB received a complaint about a Great Northern Brewing Co. lager ad broadcast around 2pm during the 2016 AFL Grand Final. The complainant and AARB Panel had concerns about the number of children and young people who would have seen the ad during the broadcast.

These concerns are well-founded, as ratings data show over 600,000 Australians under the age of 25 watched the 2016 AFL Grand Final and were likely exposed to alcohol promotions during the game.

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SponsorshipSponsorship of sport is a major form of investment for alcohol advertisers and a powerful form of alcohol promotion. It is a way of raising brand awareness, creating positive brand attitudes, and building emotional connections with consumers24, 25, allowing brands to be close to their customers and involved in their everyday lives.26 It has been suggested that sponsorship has the potential to reach audiences through less regulated ways than traditional advertising.27

Local teams through to major national codes are involved in sponsorship arrangements with alcohol companies in Australia. While alcohol companies’ expenditure on sport sponsorship is not publicly available, it has been estimated at $300 million per year.28 This is likely to be a very conservative estimate when the value of some sponsorship arrangements is considered; for example, a sponsorship deal between brewer CUB and Cricket Australia was estimated to have been worth $65 million over five years.29 CUB paid $1 million a year to the NSW Blues NRL State of Origin team for front-of-jersey advertising alone.20 Companies can also spend millions of dollars promoting their sponsorships; for example, Canadian Club was reported to have spent $3 million on a marketing campaign to support its 2015 partnership with the Australian Open tennis.30

The volume of in-game alcohol advertising related to sponsorship deals, such as ground and uniform signage, can be substantially higher than in-break advertising. For every minute of ‘in-break’ alcohol advertising, there were about 4.5 minutes of ‘in-game’ alcohol advertising in Victorian AFL games broadcast in July 201031, and only 5% of alcohol marketing in an NRL grand final match was in commercial breaks.32

Sport themes in alcohol ads Evidence suggests that sport and physical activity are common themes in TV alcohol ads, particularly in ads for beer.33 The AARB has received complaints about ads featuring Australian cricket players, rugby union players, and ex-NRL players. Alcohol companies also make use of sport themes online, with companies timing social media posts to tie in with professional sporting events.34 Research has shown beer and spirit sponsors of sports events heavily use social media, with a focus on engaging young people and male consumers.27

AARB complaint: VB sponsorship of cricketThe AARB has received numerous complaints about VB sponsorship of cricket, including four complaints during the 2013 -14 Ashes series. Complaints related to a VB scoreboard and VB hoardings around the fields, with complainants concerned about children’s exposure to the alcohol promotions. The AARB Panel agreed that alcohol promotion at cricket games would have high exposure to young people.

AARB complaint: XXXX ‘Queenslander’ adA complaint was received about a XXXX TV ad that featured ex-NRL player Billy Moore. The ad sees him yelling ‘Queenslander’ at cans of beer inside the XXXX factory while wearing an NRL State of Origin Queensland team uniform. In reviewing the complaint, an AARB Panel member commented that young people follow their sporting codes passionately, and using popular sporting personalities to promote any alcohol product should be discouraged.

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Recommendations from health organisations and government committeesLeading health organisations including the World Health Organization, the Australian Medical Association, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons have recommended addressing the link between alcohol marketing and sport as part of a comprehensive approach to reducing alcohol-related harm.28, 35-37 Alcohol marketing restrictions have been identified as a ‘best buy’ intervention to address harmful alcohol use.38

Numerous government committees, panels, and inquiries in Australia have recommended action on alcohol and sport:

• In 2008, the National Preventative Health Taskforce was appointed by the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing to develop a National Preventative Health Strategy for Australia. The Taskforce recommended, in a staged approach, phasing out alcohol promotions from times and placements that have high exposure to young people, including advertising during live sport broadcasts and sponsorship of sport and cultural events.39

• In 2011, in the report ‘Alcohol: Reducing the harm and curbing the culture of excess’, the Western Australian Education and Health Standing Committee recommended limiting alcohol advertising, in particular alcohol sport sponsorship, to help reduce the sale and consumption of alcohol.40

• In 2012, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs released the ‘FASD: The Hidden Harm’ report following their inquiry into the prevention, diagnosis, and management of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The Committee recommended that the Australian Government commission an independent study into the impacts and appropriateness of current alcohol marketing strategies directed to young people, including the links between alcohol and sport.41

• In 2016, following his independent review of the South Australian Liquor Licensing Act 1997, the Hon. T R Anderson QC concluded that there was merit in considering a ban on alcohol advertising during live sporting television broadcasts, and recommended that the issue be considered at a national level.51

Current regulatory situation Despite compelling evidence that exposure to alcohol marketing impacts on young people and strong recommendations from expert committees to reform regulation, adequate controls to reduce children and young people’s exposure are lacking. In Australia, alcohol advertising is mainly regulated by the alcohol and advertising industries, and the system does not adequately cover alcohol marketing, particularly that relating to sport.

Television advertisingThe Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, developed by Free TV (the industry body representing the commercial free-to-air networks in Australia) and registered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, restricts alcohol advertising on TV to after 8.30pm – unless during a sport program on a weekend (beginning 6pm Friday) or public holiday.

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Health and community groups have long advocated for this loophole to be removed. In 2015, a review of the Code was undertaken by Free TV. Despite substantial representation from groups calling for stronger regulation of alcohol advertising throughout the review process, the alcohol advertising provisions were weakened. The code originally permitted alcohol advertising during live sport programs on a weekend or public holiday; it is now permitted in any sports program on those days. The definition of ‘weekend’ was also expanded to include Friday nights.

There are no controls regulating the placement of alcohol ads on subscription TV in Australia.

Alcohol sponsorship of sportThe content of alcohol advertising in Australia is self-regulated by the alcohol and advertising industries through the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) Scheme. Section (2)(b)(v) of the ABAC Code states that the code does not apply to sponsorship, which includes “naming rights of events or teams and the inclusion of a brand name and/or logo at an event venue or on uniforms of participants”.42 There are no other regulations that apply to sponsorship.

Sports themes in alcohol adsThe ABAC Code states that a marketing communication must not show (visibly, audibly, or by direct implication):

• “the consumption or presence of an Alcohol Beverage as a cause of or contributing to the achievement of personal, business, social, sporting, sexual or other success;” (section (3)(c)); and

• “the consumption of an Alcohol Beverage before or during any activity that, for safety reasons, requires a high degree of alertness or physical coordination, such as the control of a motor vehicle, boat or machinery or swimming.” (section (3)(d)).

It appears from ABAC determinations that this narrow phrasing excludes alcohol ads that contain sporting themes. In an ABAC decision regarding a Heineken ad that showed motor racing footage, the ABAC Panel stated, “There is some irony in an alcohol brand sponsoring or being associated with motor racing just as there is with fast food brands sponsoring physical activity such as sporting events”. However, the ad was found not to breach the ABAC Code, as:

“…the two main characters in the advertisement do not engage in ‘any activity that for safety reasons requires a high degree of alertness or physical co-ordination’, rather these two characters are depicted in a story arc which shows Mr Coulthard explaining aspects of Formula One and this is illustrated through fantasy scenes”.

The Panel also commented that alcohol use was “depicted at the event which two men are attending but this event is separate from the actual conduct of a motor race”.43

In another example, the ABAC Panel reviewed a TV ad for beer brand Pure Blonde that featured a series of shots of a man running, swimming, and boxing interspersed with images of him in a bar drinking Pure Blonde. The complaints about the ad were dismissed, as “the product is not portrayed as being consumed during actual high level physical activity such as playing a sport or swimming” and “the marketing places the use of the product in social settings and not within the actual conduct of sporting activity such as basketball or swimming.”44

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Approaches to addressing alcohol marketing and sport in Australia and internationallyAddressing the relationship between alcohol marketing and sport is not a new concept. The Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway) provides sponsorship funding to sport, racing, and arts organisations and community groups to support activities and events that encourage healthy lifestyles through the promotion of health messages.45 An objective of the Healthway sponsorship program is to reduce, where possible, the promotion of unhealthy messages or brands, including alcohol.

In 2011, the Federal Government established the Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA) to drive a national preventive health agenda. ANPHA oversaw the National Binge Drinking Strategy, which included $25 million over four years for a community sponsorship fund that provided an alternative to alcohol sponsorship for community sporting organisations. Sixteen sporting organisations signed up to receive the alternative sponsorship to help provide a sporting environment that was alcohol promotion-free.46 Major sports including AFL, NRL, and Cricket Australia did not participate and maintained their alcohol sponsorship. When ANPHA was abolished in 2014, alcohol companies quickly came back to fill the gap left by the discontinued government funding.47

Internationally, countries including Iceland, Mauritius, Norway, and Turkey have legally binding regulations on alcohol sponsorship.48 Costa Rica law bans alcohol ads from using sports or sports figures,49 as does France’s legislation through the ‘Loi Evin’, one of the strictest systems of alcohol marketing regulation. The Loi Evin applies to the marketing of all alcoholic products over 1.2% alcohol by volume, and includes a ban on alcohol sponsorship of sport, alcohol ads on TV, and advertising that associates alcohol with sport.49 This has not impeded France’s ability to host major sporting events, with the country hosting the final of the Heineken Cup rugby competition several times between 1997 and 2014 (it was renamed the H Cup in France). However, alcohol marketers are still able to circumvent the seemingly strict regulations. Carlsberg, a major sponsor of the UEFA EURO soccer tournament hosted by France in 2016, promoted their brand indirectly around the pitch using phrases from their slogan and the brand’s colours and fonts.50

It appears even legislated restrictions on alcohol sponsorship of sport need to be strictly monitored and enforced to ensure they are effective.

Addressing the relationship between alcohol marketing and sport is not a new concept. Internationally, countries

including France, Iceland, Mauritius, Norway, and Turkey have legally binding regulations on alcohol sponsorship.

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Recommendations

It is evident from the number of sport-related complaints to the AARB and community survey results that there is significant community concern about the link between alcohol and sport. Addressing this relationship is essential to ensure children and young people’s exposure to alcohol advertising is minimised.

The AARB calls on the Federal Government to:

1. Phase out alcohol sponsorship of sport that exposes young people to alcohol promotion. A replacement fund to support sporting codes could be introduced using proceeds of alcohol tax reform.

2. Amend the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice to prohibit alcohol advertising during sports broadcasts before 8.30pm on free-to-air TV. Equivalent controls should apply to subscription TV.

3. Replace the current system of industry self-regulation with an independent, legislative framework for regulating all forms of alcohol marketing.

Conclusion

It is evident there is substantial community concern about alcohol marketing and sport. A third of all complaints received by the AARB in five years related to sport, and public opinion surveys show high levels of concern. The majority of Australian adults do not think it is acceptable for alcohol to be promoted in connection with sport.

There is a need for strong, independent, legislated controls on all forms of alcohol advertising and promotion in Australia as part of a comprehensive approach to preventing harm from alcohol. While alcohol and sport are so closely connected, children and young people will continue to be exposed to unacceptably high levels of alcohol marketing. If the health and wellbeing of our community is to be a priority for governments, alcohol must leave sport.

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1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Participation in sport and physical recreation, Australia, 2013-14 [Internet]. Canberra (Australia): Australian Bureau of Statistics; 2015. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/4177.0

2. Hickman A. AdNews analysis: the top 50 TV programs of 2016 [Internet]. AdNews. 2016 Nov 29. Available from http://www.adnews.com.au/news/adnews-analysis-the-top-50-tv-programs-of-2016

3. Australian Sports Commission. AusPlay Participation data for the sport sector; Summary of key national findings October 2015 to September 2016 data. Australian Sports Commission; 2016.

4. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia, Apr 2012 [Internet]. Canberra (Australia): Australian Bureau of Statistics; 2012. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Products/4901.0~Apr+2012~Main+Features~Sports+participation?OpenDocument.

5. Australian Football League. AFL 2016 Annual Report. Melbourne (Australia): Australian Football League; 2017.

6. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Through Children’s Eyes: Alcohol Promotion in Sport. 2016. Available from: https://www.racp.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/through-children's-eyes-alcohol-promotion-in-sport.pdf?sfvrsn=0

7. MacNiven R, Kelly B, King L. Unhealthy product sponsorship of Australian national and state sports organisations. Health Promot J Aust. 2015; 26:52-56.

8. Public Health Advocacy Institute of Western Australia. AFL Sponsorship Ladder 2017. Perth (Australia): Public Health Advocacy Institute of Western Australia; 2017.

9. Jernigan D, Noel J, Landon J, Thornton N, Lobstein T. Alcohol marketing and youth alcohol consumption: a systematic review of longitudinal studies published since 2008. Addiction. 2017; 112 Suppl 1: 7-20.

10. Anderson P, de Bruijn A, Angus K, Gordon R, Hastings G. Impact of Alcohol Advertising and Media Exposure on Adolescent Alcohol Use: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies. Alcohol Alcoholism. 2009; 44(3):229–243.

11. Brown K. Association between alcohol sports sponsorship and consumption: A systematic review. Alcohol Alcoholism. 2016; 51(6):747-755.

12. Kelly S, Ireland M, Mangan J. Alcohol sponsorship and its impact on sports participants' consumption. Sport in Society. 2017; 20(7):848-860.

13. O'Brien K, Miller P, Kolt G, Martens M, Webber A. Alcohol industry and non-alcohol industry sponsorship of sportspeople and drinking. Alcohol Alcoholism. 2011; 46(2):210-213.

14. Pettigrew S, Rosenberg M, Ferguson R, Houghton S, Wood L. Game on: do children absorb sports sponsorship messages? Public Health Nutr. 2013; (1):1-8.

15. Kelly B, Baur L, Bauman A, King L, Smith B. Building solutions to protect children from unhealthy food and drink sport sponsorship. Sydney (Australia): Cancer Council NSW and Prevention Research Collaboration; 2011.

16. Grunseit AC, MacNiven R, Orr R, et al. Australian athletes' health behaviours and perceptions of role modelling and marketing of unhealthy products. Health Promot J Aust. 2012; 23(1):63-9.

17. Ratings data between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 collected by OzTAM.

18. Independent market research commissioned by the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, July 2017. Available from: www.mcaay.org.au

19. Bennett L, Hickman, H. Lion signs four-year deal with Cricket Australia, replaces CUB [Internet]. AdNews. 2017 Mar 28. Available from: http://www.adnews.com.au/news/lion-signs-four-year-deal-with-cricket-australia-replaces-cub.

20. Ritchie D. NSW Blues to split with VB after seven years as State of Origin sponsor [Internet]. The Daily Telegraph. 2017 Jun 6. Available from: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/state-of-origin/nsw-blues-to-split-with-vb-after-seven-years-as-state-of-origin-sponsor/news-story/135a166325e159f6f6a504cd03b30f09.

21. The Shout. Tooheys re-signs NSW State of Origin deal [Internet]. The Shout. 2017 Aug 9. Available from: http://theshout.com.au/tooheys-re-signs-nsw-state-origin-deal/.

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Alcohol Advertising Review Boardc/o McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and YouthGPO Box U1987Perth WA 6845complaints@alcoholadreview.com.auwww.alcoholadreview.com.auTwitter: @AlcoholAdReview

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