The Scottish Government's Restricting alcohol advertising and promotion: consultation is, in our opinion, proposing a sledgehammer to crack a nut. We will shortly be submitting the Good Spirits Co.'s response, but we would be most grateful if you, our customers, could also spare the time to respond.
You can print out the response document from the above link, but it's quicker and easier to respond online here: https://consult.gov.scot/alcohol-policy/alcohol-advertising-and-promotion/
Here are some of the points we'll be making.
- The Scottish Government's own statistics show that both overall alcohol consumption and harmful over-consumption have been declining continuously for two decades.
- The consultation entirely fails to address the economic harms of its proposals. The Scotch whisky industry alone is worth £4.5 billion annually, and constitutes 75% of Scottish food & drink exports.
- The most notorious alcoholic product in Scotland, a tonic wine made in the South West of England, does not advertise in Scotland.
- The consultation asks responders to state if they are connected to the alcohol industry, but doesn't ask if they are connected to the anti-alcohol lobby. This is very much of a piece with the unspoken assumptions and unconscious bias of the consultation, which can be summarised as "alcohol bad, prohibition good".
You may also wish to have a look at this thoughtful blog piece written by Kate Watt of Watt Whisky, or the open letter to the Scottish Government written by a consortium of drinks industry companies.
And finally, if you are going to respond, please be aware that the closing date is 9th of March 2023.