Portman Group launches Code of Practice review

The Portman Group offered to review the Code as one of the industry pledges made under the Responsibility Deal to see if there are areas which need tightening up or extending within the self-regulatory framework.

The consultation runs for three months to 13 January 2013.

Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, said: “A lot of health problems are caused by people drinking too much. To tackle this we need to make real changes to the way alcohol is sold and consumed in this country.

"Public health is everyone’s business and I want to see the drinks industry having a serious look at how it can improve the nation’s health.

“It is important that the alcohol industry markets their products responsibly. The Portman Group Code is well recognised as a good example of self-regulation and we welcome the timely review of these rules as part of the Responsibility Deal.”

Seymour Fortescue, chairman of the Portman Group said: “Responsible alcohol producers are serious about tackling alcohol misuse and it is in their long-term business interest to make sure that their products are marketed and sold responsibly. They recognise that the irresponsible marketing of products is unacceptable, damaging to their business, and the wider industry’s reputation.”

Henry Ashworth, chief executive of the Portman Group said: “The marketing environment we live in is under constant change and it is important that the Code contains no regulatory gaps going forward. We want everyone who has an interest in alcohol and its responsible marketing to engage with us and respond so we can refine the rules to make sure they are fit for the next five years.”

Some of the questions being asked include:

• Should the Code be extended to cover all drinks producer marketing activity which is not otherwise regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority or Ofcom, including retailer-led co-promotions and public relations activity?
• Should the restrictions on promoting the strength of alcohol be changed to enable producers to promote products which are lower in strength?
• Should there be a binding requirement for companies to build a commitment to social responsibility into their sponsorship agreements – what should this entail and how should it be worded?
• Should the Code be tightened even further to prevent any suggestion of sexual activity or that alcohol has therapeutic properties such as relaxation?
• The Code applies to all alcohol sold or marketed in the UK regardless of whether alcohol producers are members of the Portman Group or signatories to the Code.

The Code was first introduced in 1996 and governs all pre-packaged alcohol sold or marketed in the UK. The consultation can be downloaded from the Portman Group’s website here http://www.portmangroup.co.uk​