Alcohol ads report is "flawed", claims Portman Group

A report looking at how often children are exposed to alcohol advertising is "flawed", the Portman Group has claimed.

The Alcohol Concern report - 'Not in front of the children' - released last year, said that the number of alcohol adverts rose between 3pm and 5pm, "when most children return from school".

But in a letter sent last week to Alcohol Concern, David Poley, the Portman Group's chief executive, wrote: "We consider that the report was flawed from the very start in terms of its methodology".

The Portman Group has become particularly concerned about the report because reference was made to it in recent alcohol strategy consultation documents, released by the UK and Scottish government.

Poley argues it "fails to take account of the audience profile for each programme".

He also claims that an analysis of Alcohol Concern's own data shows a trough in advertising between 3-5pm, not a spike, as the report showed.

"We are concerned that the government consultations are taking the Alcohol Concern report at face value… the inaccuracies in this report and the insinuation that brand owners are targeting children are proving very damaging to the alcohol industry and its reputation," Poley said.

However Alcohol Concern has defended its report. It disputed the claim its methodology was "flawed".

Chief Executive Don Shenker said: "Alcohol Concern is an organisation which prides itself on using the best available evidence to deliver recommendations to policy makers. The Portman Group appears to deliberately ignore the section of our report which looks at the question of audience size."

He also maintained there was evidence of a spike in advertising between 3 and 5pm in the report.

The Portman Group has also sent copies of the letter to other trade groups, including the British Beer & Pub Association and the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, in case they wish to respond.