Overview

1.1 The University has a policy of actively encouraging and promoting moderation in, and a responsible attitude towards the use of alcohol in the University community. This policy focuses upon the advertising of events at which alcohol will be made available and the placement in University publications of advertisements that relate to alcohol consumption. This policy should be read in conjunction with other policies such as the Event Planning Guidelines and Alcohol Tobacco Smoking and Other Drugs Policy.

1.2 The University takes seriously any breach of the alcohol advertising guidelines.

Description

2.1 Advertisement should not over emphasise the availability of alcohol, refer to the amount of alcohol available or encourage in any way the excessive consumption of alcohol. In advertising, equal reference must be made to the availability of non-alcoholic drinks. Attendance at any function or event must not be induced or encouraged by all-inclusive ticketing (i.e. entrance fee and all you can drink for the one price) or by the offer of free or reduced price alcoholic drinks.

2.2 All promotional material for Events must be approved by the Security Manager, Property & Facilities Division) at the time of application. For advertisement to be placed in University publications the approval of the Director of Marketing & Communications must first be obtained.

2.3 Pre-event messages should adhere to the following advertising guidelines as found in the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code published by the Distilled Spirits Industry of Australia Inc. at the time of the most recent review of this document in June 2007.  In the event of a conflict between the provisions of the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code and the requirements of the university as spelled out by the Alcohol Tobacco Smoking and Other Drugs Policy and the Event Planning Guidelines the university policies and procedures will prevail. The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code of June 2007 is as follows:

Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code

The Australian Associated Brewers Inc., the Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia Inc., and the Winemakers Federation of Australia are committed to the goal of all advertisements for alcohol beverages, other than point of sale material, produced for publication or broadcast in Australia must comply with the following Code.

The conformity of an advertisement with this Code is to be assessed in terms of its probable impact upon a reasonable person with the class of persons to whom the advertisement is directed and other persons to whom the advertisement may be communicated, and taken its content as a whole.

For the purpose of this code-

• adult means a person who is at least 18 years of age;
• alcohol beverage includes any particular brand of alcohol beverage;
• adolescent means a person aged 14 to 17 years inclusive;
• Australian Alcohol guidelines means the electronic document 'Guidelines for Everyone (1-3)' published by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) as at 1 January 2004;
• child means a person under 14 years of age; and
• low alcohol beverage means an alcohol beverage which contains less than 3.8% alcohol/volume.

Advertisements for alcohol beverages must -

1. present a mature, balanced and responsible approach to the consumption of alcohol beverages, and accordingly-
   1. must not encourage excessive consumption or abuse of alcohol;
   2. must not encourage under-age drinking;
   3. must not promote offensive behaviour, or the excessive consumption, mis-use or abuse of alcohol beverages;
   4. must only depict the responsible and moderate consumption of alcohol beverages;
2. not have a strong or evident appeal to children or adolescents and, accordingly-
   1. adults appearing in advertisements must be over 25 years of age and be clearly depicted as adults;
   2. children and adolescents may only appear in advertisements in natural situations (eg family barbecue, licensed family restaurant) and where there is no implication that the depicted children and adolescents will consume or serve alcohol beverages; and
   3. adults under the age of 25 years may only appear as part of a natural crowd or background scene.
3. not suggest that the consumption or presence of alcohol beverages may create or contribute to a significant change in mood or environment, and accordingly-
   1. must not depict the consumption or presence of alcohol beverages as a cause of or contributing to the achievement of personal, business, social, sporting, sexual or other success;
   2. if alcohol beverages are depicted as part of a celebration, must not imply or suggest that the beverage was a cause or contributed to success or achievement; and
   3. must not suggest that the consumption of alcohol beverages offers any therapeutic benefit or is a necessary aid to relaxation;
4. not depict any direct association between the consumption of alcohol beverages, other than low alcohol beverages, and the operation of a motor vehicle, boat or aircraft or the engagement in any sport (including swimming and water sports) or potentially hazardous activity and, accordingly-
   1. any depiction of the consumption of alcohol beverages in connection with the above activities must not be represented as having taken place before or during engagement of the activity in question and must in all cases portray safe practices; and
   2. any claim concerning safe consumption of low alcohol beverages must be demonstrably accurate;
5. not challenge or dare people to drink or sample a particular alcohol beverage, other than low alcohol beverages, and must not contain any inducement to prefer an alcoholic beverage because of its higher alcohol content; and
6. comply with the Advertiser Code of Ethics adopted by the Australian Association of National Advertisers.

7. Not encourage consumption that is in excess of, or inconsistent with the Australian Alcohol Guidelines issued by the NHMRC.

8. Not refer to the ABAC Scheme, in whole or in part, in a manner which may bring the scheme into disrepute.

Retail Advertisements

Advertisements which contain the name of a retailer or retailers offering alcohol beverages for sale, contain information about the price or prices at which those beverages are offered for sale, and which contain no other material relating to or concerning the attributes or virtues of alcohol beverages except-

1. the brand name or names of alcohol beverages offered for sale;
2. the type and/or style of the alcohol beverages offered for sale;
3. a photographic or other reproduction of any container or containers (or part thereof, including any label) in which the alcohol beverages offered for sale are packaged;
4. the location and/or times at which the alcohol beverages are offered for sale; and
5. such other matter as is reasonably necessary to enable potential purchasers to identify the retailer or retailers on whose behalf the advertisement is published, must comply with the spirit and intent of the Code but are not subject to any process of prior clearance.

• All promotional advertising in support of events does not clearly target underage persons and as such is consistent with the ABAC standard;
• Alcohol beverages served at such events are served in keeping with guidelines, and where applicable legal requirements, for responsible serving of alcohol (which preclude the serving of alcohol to underage persons);
• Promotional staff at events do not promote consumption patterns that are inconsistent with responsible consumption, as defined in the NHMRC Guidelines;
• Promotional staff do not misstate the nature or alcohol content of a product;
• Promotional staff at events are of legal drinking age;
• Promotional materials distributed at events do not clearly target underage persons;
• Promotional materials given away at or in association with events do not connect the consumption of alcohol with the achievement of sexual success;
• Promotional materials given away at or in association with events do not link the consumption of alcohol with sporting, financial, professional or personal success;
• Promotional materials given away at events do not encourage consumption patterns that are inconsistent with responsible consumption, as defined in the NHMRC Guidelines; and
• A condition of entry into giveaways promoted by alcohol companies at or in association with events is that participants must be over the legal drinking age; and Prizes given away in promotions associated beverage companies will only be awarded to winners who are over the legal drinking age.

This protocol does not apply to or seek to restrict alcohol beverage companies from being associated with conduct, activity or materials that educate the public, including underage persons, about the consequences of alcohol consumption and the possible consequences of excessive or underage consumption.