Irish not against alcohol sponsorship despite ban plans

More than two thirds of Irish people are not opposed to alcohol sponsorship, despite plans to ban the practice, new research has revealed.

The majority of Irish people do not oppose alcohol sponsorship, new research has shown

A ban on alcohol sponsorship of sporting events is being considered by the government as part of a new action plan on alcohol.

However the Retail Intelligence survey showed that 69% of those questioned were not against alcohol sponsorship, a result that has been welcomed by the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI).

“Let’s picture for a moment the hugely negative impact that a ban on sports sponsorship would actually have,” commented Kathryn D’Arcy, director of ABFI.

“As communities and business work hard to survive, we must not cut off vital funding to our sporting organisations.”

It also revealed 39% of Irish adults surveyed disagree or strongly disagreed that there should be a ban on alcohol sponsorship of sporting events, and 30% said they neither agree nor disagree.

Meanwhile 43% said alcohol brand sponsorship helps to improve the running of sporting events, the majority of which were men comprising 56% who agreed or strongly agreed.

“There is no evidence to support the fact that sponsorship drives consumption or indeed binge drinking,” added D’Arcy. “Quasi-prohibitionist measures will do nothing to affect change in Ireland’s binge drinking and will put the 92,000 jobs in the drinks industry at risk.

“We understand that there is a problem with binge drinking in Ireland among a cohort of people, which can only be addressed by industry, government and society in general working as one.

“However, at a time when our economy is on the up and industry needs a boost, a sponsorship ban would damage the drinks industry while doing absolutely nothing to change Ireland’s drinking culture.”

In June a government-funded report concluded that Ireland has a “complex relationship with alcohol”, which has become “embedded” in Ireland’s national identity.

A report compiled by the Oireachtas committee last week found that sporting organisations would “suffer inordinately if legislation for such a prohibition was introduced”.

Ministers are currently divided over the ban, and a decision on its introduction is expected to be delayed until the autumn.