Govt has no option but to ban liquor ads

Of course they'll protest a little half-heartedly about the minister not having consulted the advertising industry on the matter but the fact of it is that as usual everyone in the industry has been so busy with day to day chores nobody really had the time to do anything but present a token and probably terribly polite protest.

Frankly, as was the case with the tobacco ban, government ministers have no fear of the ad or marketing industries simply because nobody within them is prepared to get up a really serious protest. Advertising and marketing people simply don't toyi-toyi.

Media silent

Equally the mass media, which is going to be the big loser when liquor ads are banned, have been almost completely silent in terms of trying to protect their revenue. One has to assume that with government being the biggest spender of advertising revenue in the country, many of our media owners are extremely reticent about complaining too much in fear of annoying their biggest client.

So, apart from health notices on liquor bottles and taxing liquor a lot more harshly, the only other thing government can do is ban advertising.

And their decision to do this will have absolutely nothing to do with whether or not advertising actually makes people drink more or even start drinking in the first place.

Ban products

The argument that if tobacco and alcohol are so bad for people then why not just ban the products and not the advertising, is fatuous to say the least. Far too much money and employment is involved to start suicidally banning these vices.

So, banning advertising is not only politically correct but also doesn't really hurt anybody except the ad industry and media. And because government is so important to both these industries they really don't give a hoot about upsetting them. Equally, the ad industry's shocking record of educating the public to the importance of advertising in the economy will mean that few if any consumers will be upset at not seeing any liquor advertising, given that the majority think that advertising is a trivial, money-wasting pursuit anyway.

But clearly, Government has to do something. Alcohol abuse costs the country R9 billion a year. And per adult consumption has doubled from 10 litres to 20 litres in the past five years which puts us among the biggest drinkers in the world. Frankly, government has to look as though it is doing something.

But, as every marketer and I suspect everyone in Government knows, putting warning labels on bottles and banning advertising isn't going to make a damn of difference to the degree of abuse.

Not stupid

Like the tobacco companies, liquor marketers are not stupid and will find a way of overcoming these communications hurdles.

Alcohol abuse is growing at a frightening rate in this country. And if government wants to be serious about it, it should have a look at why people are drowning their sorrows so much more these days. I suspect it has more to do with the widening gap between rich and poor than advertising and the mistaken belief that the entire population is totally unaware that too much alcohol is bad for them

It is one thing persuading someone to start drinking but its another kettle of fish entirely persuading someone to drink too much. Advertising cannot do that nearly as effectively as social ills and inequities.