Turei Metiria: Liquor Advertising (Television and Radio) Bill — First Reading 
Turei Metiria: Liquor Advertising (Television and Radio) Bill — First Reading 
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METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) 
: 
 I move  
That the Liquor Advertising (Television and Radio) Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be referred to the Health Committee. I urge all MPs to support this bill’s referral to the select committee for further discussion and debate. I also acknowledge Brendon Burns and his latest efforts to deal with the issue of the advertising of liquor. 
This bill will prohibit the broadcast of all liquor advertising in New Zealand except in films that have been made overseas—a practical measure. Alcohol advertising was introduced to broadcast media in 1991 and it has become the primary source of information for most people about alcohol and how it is used. Alcohol through advertising is associated with desirable lifestyle images normalising and encouraging widespread alcohol use. 
To use the Drug Foundation’s words alcohol is New Zealand’s “most widely used psychoactive … recreational drug”. Its effects include lack of coordination mood changes aggression overly emotive feelings confusion blurred vision poor muscle control nausea vomiting incontinence impotence shrinking of testicles sperm damage and low sperm count alcohol poisoning coma and death. Alcohol can be addictive and “withdrawal effects include loss of appetite nausea sweating body shakes anxiety insomnia irritability and confusion. A person withdrawing from severe alcohol dependence may risk convulsions delusions hallucinations vomiting and death.” The Drug Foundation reports that research has shown that “the social cost of alcohol in New Zealand ranged between $1 billion to $4 billion each year. Lost productivity cost New Zealand $1.17 billion each year; the burden on the public health sector was $655 million crime and related costs added up to $240 million social welfare $200 million and other alcohol-related government spending $330 million.” 
Alcohol is dangerous lethal and expensive for this country. Yet this dangerous drug is marketed in a myriad of ways to our communities and particularly to our young people. Sold in stores this drug is readily available. Research here and overseas shows that a restriction or ban on the advertising of this drug is an important step towards reducing the use of and therefore the harm caused by this psychoactive drug. 
I refer to a recent submission to the Law Commission by Professor George Seber of the University of Auckland who described in that submission the results of a French law. In France alcohol advertisements are prohibited on television or in cinemas. The French data show that the introduction of the law to ban broadcast advertising ensured that levels of use continued to drop in that country and in 2007 there was a 2 percent fall in wine sales. France has also taken the courageous step of banning the alcohol industry’s sponsorship of sport—something that New Zealand has failed to do. Norway has a total ban on alcohol advertising. Twenty-one of the 27 European Union member States have a partial or complete television advertising ban with regard to time and/or product. 
The science group of the European Alcohol and Health Forum has produced a report that includes 13 longitudinal studies that involved 38000 young people aged between 10 and 21 years old. I will describe for members three extensive reviews referred to in that report. 
The first was conducted in 2009 by Lesley Smith and David Foxcroft: “The data from these studies suggest that exposure to alcohol advertising in young people influences their subsequent drinking behaviour. The effect was consistent across studies a temporal relationship between exposure and frequency of drinking … was clearly demonstrated”. Another study from 2008 stated: “Available evidence suggests that price promotions do increase binge drinking and that exposure to point of purchase advertising predicts the onset of youth drinking. Regardless of their explicit intention there is evidence for an effect of alcohol advertisements on underage drinkers.” A third survey in 2009 found: “Longitudinal studies consistently suggest that exposure to media and commercial communications on alcohol is associated with the likelihood that adolescents will start to drink alcohol and with increased drinking amongst baseline drinkers. Based on the strength of this association we conclude that alcohol advertising and promotion increases the likelihood that adolescents will start to use alcohol and to drink more if they are already using alcohol.” 
A further study published in  
The Lancet 
 noted: “Making alcohol more expensive and less available … are highly cost-effective strategies to reduce harm … Banning of alcohol advertising drink-driving counter-measures and individually directed interventions to drinkers who are already at risk are also cost-effective approaches.” 
That was a long recitation of reports and there are many more just like them. The fact is that MPs and the community know the truth of the matter. For as long as the community turns a blind eye to the harm caused by this drug and continues to refuse to take the easy and basic measures to control and manage its use we will all continue to suffer the grotesque consequences. 
Alcohol contributes to about 25 percent of fatal car crashes. Twenty-five percent of car crashes that result in a death are attributable to alcohol. Twenty percent of crashes that cause serious injury on our roads are attributable to alcohol. New Zealand research shows that nearly 4 percent of all deaths in this country are attributable to alcohol consumption. Nearly 4 percent of all deaths are attributable to the consumption of alcohol. The harm is real. The harm affects all of our families and communities. This drug must be better controlled and better managed. Our bill proposes a very small step towards controlling and managing this drug in a way that will protect our community from harm. 
The Green Party believes that the three most popular drugs in New Zealand should be regulated within the law under a similar framework. To this end it is the Green Party’s policy that public health measures should include the following aspects: first a ban on the broadcast of alcohol advertising; secondly a requirement for compulsory health warnings on all alcohol and tobacco products; and thirdly support for the use of pricing mechanisms such as taxes duties and levies to discourage the use of alcohol and tobacco. Tobacco kills; so does alcohol. Both should be regulated under a similar framework. This bill takes one step towards achieving that consistency. It deals with the first measure which concerns the banning of broadcasts. The bill is reasonable rational and demonstrably effective. I commend the bill to the House.