Commission seeks to ban alcohol sponsorship at sporting contests

DRINKS giants could be banned from sponsoring sporting contests following rising concern over drinking among the young.

The European Commission believes that sponsorship of sports events by brewers and distillers encourages youth drinking.

Brussels also wants to ban alcohol companies from advertising on television before the 9pm watershed, when broadcasters concentrate on programmes for the over-18s.

According to reports yesterday, Brussels wants an advertising ban similar to the one brought in to stop tobacco firms from sponsoring sports events.

A study on behalf of the European Commission reckoned illness, injury and violence linked to alcohol was costing EU countries €125 billion a year.

Exposure to television, music videos and alcohol-related sponsorship were all encouraging people to start drinking from an early age and to drink more, the study said.

The marketing strategies of the big brewers and distillers were leading to the rise in teenage drinking, the report said.

Research by Britain’s Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) reveals that British, Irish and Danish teenagers are among the heaviest drinkers in Europe.

“They are more likely to drink to get drunk and to report problems associated with drinking than most of their counterparts in other European nations,” an IAS report last year said.

In 2003, figures showed, average annual drink consumption in Ireland was equivalent to 10.8 litres of pure alcohol per person — up from 9.7 litres in 1997.

In terms of consumption per head, Ireland was behind only Luxembourg, Hungary and the Czech Republic, the IAS found.

The European Commission report said: “The industry should cease the production and marketing of products that are attractive to or which target children and adolescents.”

The commission wants to see minimum price controls on drink and a ban on happy hours in pubs and discount drinks in off-licences.

Cigarette packet-style warnings on drinks as well as a lowering of the drink-drive limit for younger drivers are also among the measures.

The commission also wants to see taxes on alcopops, which experts reckon are aimed at getting young people into the habit of drinking earlier in life.