This consultation by the Scottish Government seeks views on potential restrictions to alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland, including:

Sport and events sponsorship:

• Prohibit alcohol-branded sports merchandise, including sponsorship on replica kits.
• Offer accreditation to sports venues which are more family-friendly. This entails reducing the alcohol advertising on display, placing limits on the number of alcoholic drinks a person can buy, and hosting at least six alcohol-free sporting events per year.
• During televised sporting events, footage of crowds should avoid close shots of people drinking alcohol.

Outdoor and public spaces marketing:

• Prohibit alcohol marketing on billboards and posters near to schools, nurseries and playgrounds, and on public transport vehicles, stops and stations

In-store alcohol marketing:

• restricting window displays of alcohol,
• restricting the use of mixed alcohol and non-alcohol aisles,
• prohibiting aisle-end displays of alcohol,
• redefining the alcohol display area, and/or
• covering alcohol behind till areas similar to tobacco.
• structural separation of alcohol in Scotland to reduce the visibility of alcohol in off-trade settings (e.g., supermarkets)

Brand-sharing and merchandise:

• prohibit the free distribution of alcohol-branded merchandise in Scotland
• potential alcohol marketing restrictions applied to no-or low drinks products between 0% ABV and 1.2% ABV, where these carry the same brand name, or identifiable brand markings, as alcohol drinks over 1.2% ABV.

Print Advertising:

• prohibit advertising of alcohol in newspapers and magazines

Online Marketing:

• restrict alcohol-branded social media channels and websites in Scotland
• restrict paid alcohol advertising online in Scotland

Examples include adverts appearing on websites, via pop-ups on social media platforms, on search engines, or influencer advertising.

• restrict alcohol companies from sharing promotional content on social media (e.g. filters, videos or posts) – whether this is produced by them or by consumers.

Television and Radio 

• prohibiting alcohol advertising on television and radio completely
• introduce a watershed for alcohol advertising on TV and radio
• restrict advertising in cinemas.

(Noted that restrictions on television or radio advertising may require action by the UK Government to implement).

Responding to this consultation

This consultation will close on 9 March 2023.

Responses are requested via the Scottish Government’s consultation hub, Citizen Space (http://consult.gov.scot). Access and respond to this consultation online at https://consult.gov.scot/alcohol-policy/alcohol-advertising-and-promotion. You can save and return to your responses while the consultation is still open.

IoL Response

The IoL has responded to this consultation: Read the response