Burns Brendon: Liquor Advertising (Television and Radio) Bill — First Reading 
Burns Brendon: Liquor Advertising (Television and Radio) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:655;Page:4869] 
BRENDON BURNS (Labour—Christchurch Central) 
: 
 I am very pleased to speak on the Liquor Advertising (Television and Radio) Bill and to follow in the wake of the Minister of Broadcasting’s crocodile tears for the 90 jobs lost at Television New Zealand. 
If this bill related to banning the advertising of guns would the Minister still stand up and say that Parliament should not consider it? 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: No principles there. 
BRENDON BURNS 
: That is right. Obviously television advertising is a powerful medium. 
I acknowledge that I have some concerns about this bill—a dilemma in fact—because like many New Zealanders I have long enjoyed a drink mostly responsibly. I also think that our current alcohol laws are an absolute mess and do not do much to manage the harm that alcohol creates in our communities on a day-by-day basis. That said as has been noted I hold the Labour broadcasting portfolio. Although I believe that television and radio are particularly powerful influences on our drinking culture it cannot be seriously argued that they are wholly responsible for the harm done by alcohol and the promotion of alcohol. This bill fails to acknowledge the role of other media and other advertising. If Parliament had the courage to restrict or ban advertising on television and radio and across other media it would have to be done in that kind of way—in concert with other advertising. We must treat all media equitably. That said I will support this bill going to the select committee as a vehicle to promote the message that the tide has gone too far and that we need to comprehensively review alcohol laws. 
I hope that this bill if referred to the select committee would only be considered alongside the wide-ranging reforms of all alcohol laws now under consideration by the Law Commission. I will quote the President of the Law Commission Sir Geoffrey Palmer a very fine former member for Christchurch Central who recently in the somewhat ironic setting of The Honest Lawyer pub in Nelson made this comment: “Alcohol is no other ordinary commodity. It is a drug. Alcohol would be classed as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 if it were treated on its merits … Obviously that will not happen but the properties of alcohol are the reason why it must be closely regulated.” I think that the premise must be that the regulation of alcohol should put public health as the primary concern. It is the founding principle of the Sale of Liquor Act but that Act currently under review fails to enshrine that in any sense whatsoever. 
Alcohol is a very major public health concern and a huge amount of international and local research confirms the impact that television and radio advertising has on young people. A longitudinal study in Dunedin found that males could recall seeing many alcohol adverts at age 13 and that those who could recall the adverts drank larger amounts of alcohol at age 18. The 12 to 17-year-olds who recalled most alcohol adverts were more likely to think it was OK for kids of their age to get drunk to think that their friends drank frequently and to drink more themselves. If members can recall the Lion Red chin head campaign of a little time ago research shows that 97 percent of minors recalled seeing the chin heads 71 percent knew the advertisement was for Lion Red—these are kids as young as 12 years of age—92 percent had positive views about the ads and 64 percent thought the ads would appeal to minors. 
Alcohol advertising it has to be acknowledged is not the only change that has happened since 20 years ago when we began allowing alcohol advertising on television and on radio but it has certainly played its part. Obviously we have had considerable other changes including the reduction in the age of purchase and the increased availability of alcohol particularly in supermarkets. But none the less in the 10-year period of 1990 to 1999 the amount that 14 to 17-year-olds were drinking doubled on a typical drinking occasion which coincided with the period when alcohol advertising on radio and television was first allowed. Parliament has to acknowledge the damage and harm that alcohol causes. It is appropriate that we use every opportunity to consider those issues. This bill provides another mechanism for that. I support it going to the select committee for that sort of consideration.