Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children

1. Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children Presentation by MEAS/drinkaware.ie 1 December, 2011

2. 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

3. Regulation of the Sale , Promotion and Marketing of Alcohol ALCOHOL REGULATION

4. Alcohol Marketing, Promotion, Merchandising and Sponsorship Regulatory Architecture • Laws of the Land • Direct Statutory or Regulatory Rules • Co-Regulatory Codes/ Systems • Self-Regulatory Codes

5. 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 AlcoholCompany Codes

6. 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.

7. Systems Supporting Co-Regulatory and Voluntary Codes Co-Regulatory Codes Re. 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 AMCMBMonitors and Reports to Minister CCCI Central Copy Clearance Ireland -Mandatory Pre-launchAdvisory Service -Voluntary Chair of RRAIreports to Minister ASAI Code is concerned with practically all Commercial Advertising in all media.

8. 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. .

9. Regulation at the Retail Level is Fragmented (2):Greater Role for Co-regulatory Approach to regulation ASINGLE 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

10. Serving and Selling of Alcohol Training in the Responsible Selling and Serving of Alcohol

11. 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.

12. 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

13. drinkaware.ie Responsible Drinking Programme

14. Context: Social Partnership Special Initiative on Alcohol, 2006 Taoiseach’s Office Trade unions Gardaí Industry Working together to reduce alcohol-related harm Education Transport Drugs Community Health Justice Voluntary

15. Context: Social Partnership Special Initiative on Alcohol 2006 • Underage drinking • Excessive drinking • Drink-driving Working together to reduce alcohol-related harm

16. ABFI Commitment • Fund a medium term € multimillion programme • Media industry contribution • Purpose: Promote responsible consumption of alcohol and challenge anti-social behaviour around drinking

17. 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 andMeasurement: credibility of messenger; brand awareness; message take-out; channel effectiveness; attitude change; behaviour change

18. ‘Know the one that’s one too many’ Initial drinkaware.ie advertising campaign (November 2006 – May 2007 Targeted 18 – 29 year olds

19. Further Research – Integrated focused Campaign • Overarching campaign to change drinking culture and anti-social behaviour: ‘Had Enough’ • Tactical campaigns • L

21. ‘Rethinking our Drinking’

23. Tactical Campaigns • Support behaviour change • Very targeted • Align message with its context: the right moment • Innovative uses of media

24. ‘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

25. 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

26. Tangible Action Message

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. ‘Babes in Bits’

32. 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?:

33. 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%

34. Social Marketing and Communications MAJOR OPPORTUNITY TO HARNESS EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS

35. Thank You • www.drinkaware.ie • www.meas.ie