New alcohol rule introduced

04 April 2006

Today, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) has announced that it has issued a new restriction on television and radio ads for alcohol products.

The new rule allows factual statements about an alcoholic drink's contents but forbids any type of health, fitness or weight control claim. All alcohol ads broadcast on television and radio from 3 July 2006 will need to comply with the new rule.

Advertisers should not imply that an alcoholic drink can be a source of nourishment or suitable as part of an exercise, fitness or weight control regime.  If an alcohol brand name implies a dietary or health claim, broadcast advertisements for that product have to make clear that the product is not suitable for dietary purposes. BCAP had conducted a public consultation on the introduction of this new rule last year, alongside its consultation on the guidance notes helping advertisers to interpret the TV Alcohol Advertising Rules that were published by Ofcom in 2004.

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), which is respsonsible for the drafting of the non-broadcast advertising rules, will now consider whether a health and dietary claim rule needs to apply to alcohol ads in non-broadcast media.

BCAP Chairman Andrew Brown said "We have seen a growing trend in food and drink advertising to make health and fitness claims. The new rule will allow advertisers to give consumers the factual information that they need to make informed choices but will stop them implying that alcoholic drinks have health, fitness or nutritional benefit."

BCAP also announced that it had amended the TV alcohol advertising rule restricting suggestions that alcohol has therapeutic qualities so that its wording is in line with the requirements for radio alcohol ads.

The new rules, and the interpretive guidance that BCAP has been issued for advertisers and broadcasters of alcohol ads, can be found at www.cap.org.uk/cap/codes.