Every Australian should be able to grow up and live in an environment that supports their health and wellbeing. Yet the Australian community, including children and those most at risk of harm, are bombarded with promotions for alcohol every day. Australia needs strong Government-led regulatory systems that ensure a safe and healthy environment for all individuals, families, and communities.
This statement outlines a national policy position on alcohol marketing. Supported by Alcohol Change Australia, the statement has been developed in collaboration with experts and professionals working in alcohol marketing research, policy, and advocacy across Australia.
Key messages
- The Australian community is flooded with alcohol marketing. Digital marketing means alcohol companies are now able to reach Australians in every location through their smart phones.
- Alcohol marketing is harming the community, particularly children and other groups most at risk of harm.
- Currently, Australia relies on voluntary, industry-led codes and practices for managing alcohol marketing that are ineffective at preventing harm.
- The Australian Government must introduce higher standards for how the alcohol industry market its products.
Opportunities for action
The Australian Government should:
- Introduce a comprehensive and robust regulatory framework with legislative basis that effectively minimizes community exposure to alcohol marketing. Key components of this framework should include:
- A legislative design that is tailored to fit existing settings, media outlets, and marketing techniques, and captures new and emerging forms of media.
- Ongoing active monitoring by independent regulators that can adequately address non-compliance with appropriate penalties in a timely manner.
- Capacity for the marketing of zero-alcohol products to be captured.
There is also the opportunity for the Australian Government to strengthen data protection laws to protect the collection and use of data for alcohol marketing purposes:
- Prohibit the collection, use, and disclosure of children's data for commercial purposes (including profiling, monitoring, tracking, and targeting).
- Prohibit the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information for commercial marketing purposes unless a person has provided active, informed, voluntary, and non-incentivised opt-in consent –
- Even when consent is provided for the collection and use of a person’s information for marketing purpose
- Prohibit the collection, use, or disclosure of sensitive information, and
- Require a fair and reasonable test to be met whereby it is ensured that the risk of adverse impact and harm are minimised.
(The Dalgarno Institute collaborated with this Community of Practice in creating this Statement)
