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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

Laws of the Land

•Broadcasting Authority of

Ireland•Licensing

Laws

Co-RegulatoryCodes re.

Placement of Alcohol

Advertising and

Sponsorship

Self-RegulatoryCodes

•ASAI Code•MEAS Code•RRAI Code•NOffLA Code

Individual Alcohol

Company Codes

Current Regulatory Architecture

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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

ASAI Code is concerned with practically all Commercial Advertising in all media.

Co-Regulatory CodesRe. Placement of

Alcohol Advertising and

Sponsorship

Voluntary ASAI Code*Re. Content of

Alcohol Advertising

Voluntary MEAS Code on Naming,Packaging and Promotion of

Alcohol

Voluntary RRAICode on Structural

Separation, Advertising and

Training

CCCICentral Copy

Clearance Ireland-Mandatory

Pre-launchAdvisory Service

-Voluntary

AMCMBMonitors andReports to

Minister

Chair of RRAIreports to

Minister

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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

Working together to reduce

alcohol-related harm

Taoiseach’s Office

Trade unions

Industry

Transport

Community

Gardaí

Education

Drugs

Health

Justice Voluntary

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Context: Social Partnership Special Initiative on Alcohol 2006

Working together to reduce

alcohol-related harm

Underage drinking

Excessive drinking

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 change

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‘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

Supermarket chains

Convenience stores

On-trade premises

Insurance companies

Soft drinks

companies

Music festival

promoters

Road safety offices

Gardaí at check-points

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 communicationof 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 AgencyDeveloping and supporting digital media in Ireland.Third Level CollegesProviding 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?’: 48% up to 61%How long to eliminate it?:

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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