Bid to restrict alcohol marketing shows 'perverse lack of judgement', says Caithness distillery business
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A Caithness distillery business has criticised the Scottish Government for showing a "perverse lack of judgement" in its bid to restrict alcohol marketing.
Many in the drinks industry are alarmed at the potential impact of proposals that are being consulted on until March 9.
These include prohibiting alcohol advertising in outdoor public spaces, phasing out alcohol sponsorship and reducing in-store promotion of alcohol, while there could also be an end to drinks companies’ sponsorship of sport and live events.
Daniel Smith, business development manager at Thurso's Wolfburn Distillery, said: "The bottom line is that this is not just unnecessary but also damaging to businesses in the alcohol industry, and therefore ultimately it is damaging to people's earnings and livelihoods.
"It is just another example of the perverse lack of judgement of our cabal of politicians, most of whom have zero commercial experience or acumen and commensurately no understanding of the world of business."
The foreword to the consultation document is written by local MSP Maree Todd in her role as Scotland’s minister for public health.
In it, she points to the country’s “deep, long-standing and troubled relationship with alcohol” and says: “By restricting alcohol marketing in Scotland we hope to reduce the appeal of alcohol to our young people.”
Jo Jacobius, director of Axiom Communications, a PR consultancy specialising in drinks marketing, said: “Having worked to promote several Scottish drinks brands, including water, gin, vodka and whisky, I am conscious of the immense contribution that the drinks sector makes in supporting the Scottish economy.
"At a time when hospitality and many drinks brands have been struggling, it would be imprudent in the extreme to curtail the sector.
"Marketing in the alcoholic drinks industry is already well regulated and encourages responsible drinking – and responsible advertising, designed simply to promote one brand over another. Targeting underage drinkers or encouraging irresponsible use of these products is simply not permitted, and nor should it be.
"In a free market which depends on taxation, allowing marketing and freedom of choice is vital to jobs and the economy – not to mention people’s enjoyment.
"The nanny state can be damaging as it can harm those who are responsible anyway while not preventing those who do use products irresponsibly from changing behaviours – whether that’s misuse of cheap alcohol, tobacco, fast foods, sugar, over-processed foods or fats. As we know, research has shown that serious alcohol abuse is best treated as a health issue, not a consumer purchases issue."
Last week the operators of Wick’s Pulteney Distillery warned the proposals would have a “catastrophic effect” on the whisky sector, while John Mainprize, brewer at John O’Groats Brewery, said: “We are very concerned."
In 2019 the business expanded into the Last House at John O'Groats, installing a new brewery, bar and visitor centre.
"This will effectively ruin our business, as along with beer the bulk of what we sell from the shop is branded merchandise," Mr Mainprize said.
“Our sector has been hit very hard in recent years and by proposing this, along with the shambles that is the deposit return scheme, the Scottish Government is in very grave danger of wiping out drinks businesses all over the country, resulting in jobs being lost by the thousand."
Inverness pub owner Don Lawson warned: “Put simply, this will put many hospitality venues, smaller brewers and whisky and gin distilleries out of business. It could not have come at a worse time for our sector.
"Since there are already strict rules around advertising, perhaps more enforcement of existing legislation is the answer. The Scottish Government needs to tackle the social issues that contribute to alcohol abuse."
Sam Faircliff, managing director of Aviemore-based Cairngorm Brewery, said: “Emerging brands and new products need to get their name out there and this proposal could mean that these small businesses just close.
“I feel that this will not solve the challenge of problem drinking in Scotland.
“On top of Brexit, followed by Covid, now the cost-of-living crisis with all our raw materials, packaging materials and the dreaded utilities costs increasing significantly, it will be very difficult for businesses in the Highlands to survive.
“We also have higher transportation costs in the Highlands on top of everything else.”
She added: “There are 11,500 jobs in the drinks industry in Scotland, 8500 of which are in distilling alone. This does not include secondary functions of distribution, wholesaling, retailing and hospitality.
“A significant percentage of these jobs are in Highland rural communities that will be seriously affected."
In her ministerial foreword to the consultation, Ms Todd, the MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, states: “Alcohol marketing is seen by, and appealing to, large volumes of children and young people in Scotland. International evidence shows that seeing alcohol marketing is associated with an increased likelihood that children and young people will start to drink alcohol or, if they already drink alcohol, drink more. This is harmful to them in both the short and long term.
“It is also likely that alcohol marketing influences heavy drinkers and acts as an incentive to drink, which can make abstention more challenging for those in recovery. This is in addition to the likely impact marketing has on our wider society, by normalising alcohol and presenting it as fun, sociable, commonplace, and even part of a healthy lifestyle.”
