Government launches drinking advice campaign

The Government will announce a marketing campaign to educate parents on when to introduce children to alcohol as it aims to cut down drinking among children. The plans will be unveiled today (June 2).

The strategy forms part of the Youth Alcohol Action Plan, launched by Secretary of State for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Ed Balls (MW May 22). The plan will look at the role that alcohol brands play in influencing children and what the Government can do to address binge drinking by young people, and will also involve the Home Office and the Department of Health.

The new marketing campaign will fall under the umbrella of the DoH’s “Know your limits” ad, the first phase of which was launched last month.

The Youth Action Plan will announce that the chief medical officer will consult health professionals to come up with “suitable” advise for parents on when to introduce alcohol to children or whether it is best to delay the introduction of alcohol for as long as possible. The new advice will then be used for a new social marketing campaign.

Focus groups with several stakeholders including alcohol producers have already been undertaken to look into the role that brands play when influencing children.