AUCCRO opposes returning beer ads on TV and streets
The All Ukrainian Council of Churches and religious organizations warned the Parliament against the decision to return beer advertising on television, radio and in the sales outlets.
They referred to the amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Advertising”, envisaged by draft law 2971-d on regulation of the production and circulation of beer, the Institute of Religious Freedom reports.
This initiative proposes to distribute as gifts (bonuses) the glasses, USBs, lighters and other products promoting beer brands in order to encourage purchase of beer and expansion of the consumers range. This additional benefit in the form of prize often is crucial for the younger generation in making the decision to buy a drink, the religious leaders believe.
The AUCCRO notes:
“Draft law 2971-d is pushing the Ukrainian society ever closer to the deadly abyss of alcoholism and proposes to allow advertising beer 24 hours a day on radio and television, and to allow a wide range of sponsorship activities, including the promotion in sales outlets.”
Unfortunately, AUCCRO states, the relevant parliamentary committee supported the amendments, turning a blind eye on the problem of child alcoholism in Ukraine and increasing youth involvement drinking through advertising and aggressive sponsorship.
Religious leaders stress that “hard limitation and in some areas a total ban on advertising alcohol and its brands will improve mental and physical health of Ukrainian people.”
“The state should promote a healthy lifestyle to the best of its ability and further restrict any form of popularization of alcohol," goes the AUCCRO appeals submitted to the President of Ukraine and parliamentary factions on April 12.
It should be noted that as early as June 2005 the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious organizations issued a separate appeal to the state leadership “requesting to urgently develop and implement are more stringent legal mechanisms that would limit opportunities to promote (advertise) the consumption of alcohol.”
Thus, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations calls on the Head of State, Head of the Parliament and MPs of Ukraine to prevent adoption of draft law 2971-d "On Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine on regulation of production and circulation of beer" in the current edition, which contains socially harmful rules on the return of beer advertising on TV, radio and sales outlets in Ukraine.
The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and religious organizations consists of 18 denominations representing more than 90% of believers and all the major faiths of Ukraine: Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic and Protestant (evangelical) Christian denominations, as well as Jewish and Muslim religious groups.
