Drinks watchdog slams Holby City
Drinks watchdog Portman Group has accused BBC´s Holby City of a highly irresponsible portrayal of excessive and rapid drinking.
The complaint comes after Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, voiced concerns last week that TV programmes were glorifying drunken behaviour.
There are strict controls on alcohol advertising and marketing but the impact of these rules is being diluted by irresponsible programmingDavid Poley, Portman chief executive
Portman has complained to OFCOM and the BBC about a recent Holby City show which ended with a scene with two medics in a bar.
They were shown downing five shots of tequila each in rapid succession. Portman believes the scene also implied their drinking would lead to a sexual encounter.
The programme finished without any portrayal of the harmful effect of the session.
"If a drinks producer were to encourage excessive drinking or suggest an association with sexual success, it would be a clear breach of the alcohol advertising and marketing rules," said Portman chief executive David Poley.
"From the start of next year, a new rule in the Portman Group's Code of Practice will also prevent the encouragement of rapid or down-in-one drinking."
He added: "We appreciate that programme makers want to mirror some aspects of real life but they should avoid the encouragement of harmful, rapid and excessive drinking.
"We would not advocate censorship, nor deny that storylines of alcohol misuse can be used to good and positive effect.
"But in this case, the characters drank far too much and the harmful consequences were not shown.
"There are strict controls on alcohol advertising and marketing but the impact of these rules is being diluted by irresponsible programming."
