Television advertisements for alcohol, gambling and junk food would be banned from being shown during sporting matches and other children’s viewing times, under legal changes proposed by the Greens.
Greens Senator Richard Di Natale will introduce an amendment to the Broadcast Services Act that will extend the hours in which advertising for the so-called “vice industries” is not allowed during the week, and ban them entirely on weekends and school holidays between 6am and 9pm.
Subscription television channels dedicated to children’s programming would also be banned from showing junk food, gambling and alcohol advertisements.
Last month, The Sun-Herald revealed hundreds of thousands of young people were being subjected to the promotion of alcohol during advertisement breaks in sports broadcasts.
OzTam data obtained by the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth shows in some cases children make up to one in five viewers of major sporting events.
Despite this, the commercial television industry is currently pushing to weaken the rules around advertising to children, claiming they make up “a very small percentage of the audience for sporting events”.
Dr Di Natale said self-regulation had failed, and the community wanted to see change to the laws, in particularly a “loophole” that allowed alcohol advertising during sports matches at times when such advertising would not otherwise be allowed.
“We have got to decide whether we want sport to be a vehicle through which we are sending kids positive messages about the value of exercise and team-work, or a vehicle for shoving messages about alcohol and having a punt down our throats,” he said.
“As a community we already say it is unacceptable to advertise these products during kids viewing times, but there is still this huge loophole through organised sports – so why do we have this double standard?”
If the Greens’ bill is successful it will amount to a massive clamp-down on advertising seen by children. Once introduced into parliament in the first sitting week in May, it will be referred for investigation by a Senate committee.
Mike Daube, the Director of the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth at Curtin University, said there had been no action on this issue since the National Preventative Health Taskforce six years ago, and something needed to be done to close “loopholes a mile wide”.
“This is a very welcome and important initiative,” he said. “There is clear evidence from both areas that children are influenced by TV advertising and promotion.”
“There is justified community concern about both alcohol problems and the rising tide of obesity, which place such enormous and growing burdens on our health and other services and a Parliamentary Inquiry is an important step towards effective controls.”
But Australian Food and Grocery Council Spokesman James Mathews said the food industry was not worried by the move.
“Given that self regulatory codes have virtually removed all non-core food advertising during children’s programming, food companies have a strong track record and would welcome the opportunity to engage with the Senate inquiry,” he said.
Denita Warn, the chief executive of the Brewers Association, said the group were opposed to any bans, and continued to support responsible drinking through organisations such as Drinkwise.
“Bans are not effective as they do not address the underlying issues,” she said.
“Alcohol marketing is highly restricted in Australia, both the content of marketing and where they are placed … the current system works well.”
“Research shows that fewer people are binge drinking and less under age Australians are consuming alcohol.”