Outdoor advertising firms criticised for allowing alcohol ads near schools

A NUMBER of outdoor advertising companies have been rapped on the knuckles for allowing alcohol ads to be displayed too close to schools.

The annual report of the Alcohol Marketing Communications Monitoring Body revealed 15 cases last year where billboard ads breached the industry code of advertising having to be at least 100 metres away from school entrances.

The monitoring body accepted the explanation that the sites were booked in good faith and that the fault had lain with the measuring systems — such as GPS and computer mapping services — used to pinpoint their locations.