The co-creator of the newly formed Alcohol Advertising Review Board has criticised the AFL, NRL and Cricket Australia for opting to continue with alcohol sponsorship in the face of the federal government’s new anti-drinking strategy.
Professor Mike Daube, from Curtin University’s McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, welcomed the news that 12 of Australia’s sporting codes had pledged to shun alcohol sponsorship in exchange for federal funding.
“Here we have 12 sports taking an honourable path, committing themselves to promoting health and refusing money to promote alcohol,” he said. “[But] I think the line taken by sports such as AFL, NRL and [Cricket Australia] is simply irresponsible – and all the more so given the much-publicised problems these sports have had over the years in relation to alcohol.”
Professor Daube said he would eventually like to see all alcohol sponsorship in sport phased out, as with tobacco. However, Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek told Sky News on Sunday that banning alcohol sponsorship of sporting events would be a “step too far”, and that there was a “big difference” between alcohol and tobacco. “You can have safe consumption of alcohol. You can’t have safe consumption of tobacco,” she said.
But Professor Daube said while there are differences, concerns about drinking among young people were well justified. “I’m sure we will also hear claims – as we did with tobacco – that the sports will die without alcohol sponsorship,” he said.
“But we got rid of tobacco sponsorship 20 years ago and the sports are still going strong.
“The Health Minister has said that the government doesn’t plan to ban alcohol sponsorship, but replacing it can only benefit the community.”
Social researcher Neer Korn said young people were exposed to mixed messages around alcohol consumption. "The contradiction is unavoidable,” he said. “How can we tell young people not to over-indulge when alcohol messaging is all around sport and their sporting heroes?"
But he believed a blanket ban on alcohol sponsorship and advertising would probably never become the norm. "Australians resent the 'nanny state' approach more and more. Having politicians tell them when and how they can drink or be exposed to drink advertising can also be viewed negatively," he said.
This article first appeared in the 29 June 2012 edition of
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