Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children
Presentation by
MEAS/drinkaware.ie
1 December, 2011
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Areas where MEAS has some Experience and Expertise
Alcohol Regulation at the Retail level
Training in Responsible Serving of
Alcohol
drinkaware.ie communications and
Social Marketing Initiaitve
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Regulation of the Sale , Promotion and Marketing of
Alcohol
ALCOHOL REGULATION
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Alcohol Marketing, Promotion, Merchandising
and Sponsorship
Regulatory Architecture
 Laws of the Land
 Direct Statutory or Regulatory Rules
 Co-Regulatory Codes/ Systems
 Self-Regulatory Codes
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Current Regulatory Architecture
Current Regulatory Architecture
Laws of the
Land
•Broadcasting
Authority of
Ireland
•Licensing
Laws
Co-Regulatory
Codes re.
Placement of
Alcohol
Advertising
and
Sponsorship
Self-Regulatory
Codes
•ASAI Code
•MEAS Code
•RRAI Code
•NOffLA Code
Individual
Alcohol
Company Codes
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Additional Statutory Regulation? – Present Position
Intoxicating Liquor Act, 2008
 S. 16 – Alcohol Promotions – Some regulations drafted.
 S. 9 – Alcohol Merchandising.
Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2011
 Codes of Practice
 Minister can draw up Code
 Minister can approve Code(s)
Under Consideration:
 Minimum Pricing
 Repeal of the Groceries Order vis à vis alcohol.
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Systems Supporting Co-Regulatory and Voluntary Codes
Co-Regulatory Codes
Voluntary ASAI Code*
Re. Placement of
Re. Content of
Alcohol
Alcohol
Advertising and
Advertising
Sponsorship
Voluntary MEAS
Code on Naming,
Packaging and
Promotion of
Alcohol
Voluntary RRAI
Code on Structural
Separation,
Advertising and
Training
AMCMB
Monitors and
Reports to
Minister
Pre-launch
Advisory Service
-Voluntary
Chair of RRAI
reports to
Minister
CCCI
Central Copy
Clearance Ireland
-Mandatory
ASAI Code is concerned with practically all Commercial
Advertising in all media.
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Regulation at the Retail Level is Fragmented (1)
The current multiple codes situation is sub-optimal.
A multiplicity of codes creates
 Confusion amongst the public
 Confusion amongst staff responsible for implementing codes
 Potential for codes of varying rigour and for licensees subject to
more rigorous codes opting to leave for the softer code
 Potential for inequity between the sectors, e.g. between the on
trade retailer sector and the off-trade retailer sector.
.
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Regulation at the Retail Level is Fragmented (2):
Greater Role for Co-regulatory Approach to regulation
A SINGLE CODE GOVERNING ALL PURCHASING CHANNELS
AND AREAS OF ACTIVITY IS NEEDED.
 For both on and off-trade sectors
 Governing alcohol sale, promotion and merchandising
SANCTIONS NEED TO BE STRENGTHENED – Need for a
CO-REGULATORY Code, with STATUTE governing PRICE based
Promotions
 S.17 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2011
allows the Minister for Justice to develop a code or approve
a code.
 Non compliance with such a code is to be taken into
account at licence renewal stage
 Statute to address Below Cost Sales
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Serving and Selling of Alcohol
Training in the Responsible Selling
and Serving of Alcohol
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Training in Responsible Serving and Selling of Alcohol
VOLUNTARY TRAINING PROGRAMMES
 Responsible Serving of Alcohol Programme- On-trade, nationwide.
 NOffLA Responsible Trading Programme- Independent Off-Licence
Sector
 RRAI Responsible Selling of Alcohol Programme- Mixed Trade
Sector
OBLIGATORY TRAINING REQUIREMENT
 Supported by all sectors
 Recommendation made to Government Departments in 2008
 Link Obligatory Training to licence issuance and renewal.
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Mandatory Age Document; Distance Sales
 Persons aged 18 – 20 are required to carry an age
document in a licensed premises
 It is not mandatory for them to produce an age
document to purchase alcohol
 Make mandatory to improve compliance and
enforcement
Distance Sales – area of concern
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drinkaware.ie Responsible
Drinking Programme
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Context: Social Partnership
Special Initiative on Alcohol, 2006
Taoiseach’s Office
Trade unions
Gardaí
Education
Drugs
Health
Justice
Working
together
to reduce
alcohol-related
harm
Industry
Transport
Community
Voluntary
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Context: Social Partnership
Special Initiative on Alcohol 2006
Underage drinking
Excessive drinking
Working
together
to reduce
alcohol-related
harm
Drink-driving
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ABFI Commitment
 Fund a medium term € multimillion
programme
 Media industry contribution
 Purpose: Promote responsible
consumption of alcohol and challenge
anti-social behaviour around drinking
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Pan Industry Supported Programme –
delivered in Partnership with broad
range of organisations/agencies
 Fund offered to MEAS to develop and implement
the programme
 Delivery by drinkaware.ie v individual
brand/multiple brands
 Research led –consumer and theoretical
 Objective-Promote responsible drinking and
challenge anti-social behaviour around drinking
 Audience targeted: 18 -29years; bullet–22
years
 Evaluation and Measurement: credibility of
messenger; brand awareness; message take-out;
channel effectiveness; attitude change; behaviour
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change
‘Know the one that’s one too many’
Initial drinkaware.ie advertising campaign (November
2006 – May 2007
Targeted 18 – 29 year olds
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Further Research – Integrated focused Campaign
Overarching campaign to change drinking
culture and anti-social behaviour:
‘Had Enough’
Tactical campaigns
L
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‘Rethinking our Drinking’
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Tactical Campaigns
Support behaviour change
Very targeted
Align message with its context: the
right moment
Innovative uses of media
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‘Morning After’ Campaign
A previous night’s drinking may still
affect your ability to drive the
morning after
High profile, mass media
‘Point of Danger’
Key Facts
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Widespread Support
 Motor fuel
distributors
 Music festival
promoters
 Supermarket chains  Road safety offices
 Convenience stores  Gardaí at check-points
 On-trade premises
 Insurance
companies
 Soft drinks
companies
 Public utility
companies
 Transport companies
 Student bodies
 College authorities
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Tangible Action Message
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Dare2Bdrinkaware Short Film and Multimedia
Competition - Objectives


Develop a programme to encourage 18-24 year olds
to reflect on our relationship with alcohol.
Facilitate the exploration and communication
of messages by young people to young
people in young people’s media.


Growing influence of user generated media.
Using emerging social media
channels to facilitate peer
to peer messages about
responsible drinking.
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Delivery through Partnership
Meeting shared objectives:
MEAS
/ drinkaware.ie
Promoting responsibility among those who
choose to drink.
Digital Hub Development Agency
Developing and supporting digital media in
Ireland.
Third Level Colleges
Providing a range of digital media/creative
industry education programmes and alcohol
awareness initiatives.
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The College Input


Awareness is
developed through
college lecturers,
Students’ Unions and
through social media.
College Lecturers and
Heads of Departments
build the competition
into their course
programme.
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Evaluation

Qualitative evaluation to inform future
development of the competition.

Feedback from college lecturers.

Feedback from Project Partners.

Student voice – how have they benefited
from the competition.
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‘Babes in Bits’
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Positive Trends (1)
Per Capita Consumption over last decade
15+, 18+, per Capita overall: -18 to -20%
Drinking by 16 year olds
‘Not drinking in last month’: 27% up to 42%
‘Never drunk in last year’: 28% up to 53%
‘Morning After’ Messages
‘What is a Standard Drink?’:
How long to eliminate it?:
48% up to 61%
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Positive Trends (2)
 ‘Being drunk in public is becoming less attractive’: 89%
 ‘There is a growing awareness of the effects of excessive
drinking’: 86%
 The stated frequency of ‘drinking more than I should have’
in last month is down 21% (18 – 29 year olds) and down
33% (all adults) since 2007
 ‘The drinkaware.ie brand should be used more widely: 89%
 Reference websites (unprompted, ‘top of mind’)
drinkaware.ie:
74% (young adults), 54% (all adults)
hse.ie :
2% (young adults), 6% (all adults)
drugs.ie, others:
Less than 1%
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Social Marketing and Communications
MAJOR OPPORTUNITY TO
HARNESS EXPERTISE AND
RESOURCES OF ALL
STAKEHOLDERS
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Thank You
 www.drinkaware.ie
 www.meas.ie
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