Preventing Alcohol-related Harm in Australia - Department of Health

However, the specific contribution of makingfood available on licensed premises as away of preventing intoxication has not beendetermined, and in the case of certain foods(for example, salty snacks) there may actuallybe a risk of the opposite effect on alcoholconsumption.[7]Community mobilisation has been used toraise awareness of problems associated withon-premises drinking, develop specific solutionsto problems and pressure licensees to takeresponsibility for some of the impacts on thelocal community, such as noise, litter and antisocialbehaviour.[13] There is no set formula bywhich community action projects operate, aseach project has differing aims and objectives,often in response to localised problems.[36]Studies overseas support the view that whencommunity mobilisations are implemented ascomprehensive, evidence-based strategiesand are well funded, they can influence serverbehaviour, drinking behaviour and levels ofalcohol-related harms associated with licensedpremises.[36] Although some relatively smallcommunity mobilisation projects are currentlyunder way in Australia, results from evaluativestudies are yet to be published.[36] In general,community mobilisation approaches have atleast a temporary effect on licensed premises interms of serving practices and patron behaviourbut in the longer term they often tend not to beimplemented in a systematic way, and prove tobe expensive and difficult to sustain.[13]4.7 Regulating promotionAlcohol marketing and promotion is aglobal activity, with the largest corporationspromoting their products across the world.[13]Marketing strategies include an integratedmix of advertising on television, radio, printmedia, point of sale promotions, productdesign (including the packaging and namingof alcohol beverages) and the internet.Sponsorship of sports and cultural events is alsoa common marketing strategy used by alcoholcompanies, particularly in Australia. The keyquestions from a public perspective are:nnwhat is the impact of marketing andpromotion on overall consumptionand particularly the misuse of alcoholin the community?what are the most effective measures forpreventing the adverse impacts of alcoholmarketing and promotion?Total alcohol advertising expenditure inAustralia in 2007 was reported to be $128 million(see Table 8). However, this figure is highlyconservative, given that it generally relatesto the advertising of products rather than ofalcohol outlets, for which alcohol advertisingexpenditure is now very significant. Nordoes it include sponsorship, ‘below the line’advertising or internet advertising, the latterbeing a significant growth area in recent years.In Australia, the main sectors in which alcoholadverting expenditure occurs, and throughwhich the greatest exposure is achieved, arethrough commercial television advertising (38%)and outdoor advertising (32%). Globalisedalcohol manufacturers (for example, Diageo;Pernod Ricard Pacific) are among the biggestspending advertisers in Australia. The amountspent on advertising by spirits and wineproducers combined, now equals that of thetraditionally dominant beer market in Australia,reflecting an increasingly competitive alcoholbeverage market.32