Warning over online drink ads targeting children

ONLINE social networking sites and interactive websites are “gold” to alcohol marketers in targeting young people, a conference has heard.

Marketing lecturer Pat Kenny said it was easy for underage children to gain access to alcohol websites and Facebook pages, where guidelines on advertising are not adhered to and where alcohol is explicitly associated with fun, games and sexuality. The Dublin Institute of Technology academic said the iPhone, also massively popular with young people, was now being targeted to promote drinking by beverage companies.

Mr Kenny was talking at a conference organised by Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), attended by health professionals, youth workers and industry representatives.