LIQUOR AMENDMENT BILL
Ban on alcohol ads would cost media millions
Banning inserts of alcohol adverts in newspapers alone would mean a revenue loss of R260m a year, according to the South African Liquor Brandowners’ Association
Proposed amendments to the draft Liquor Amendment Bill, under consideration by the Department of Trade and Industry, will see a ban on all print advertising of all alcohol products — including inserts and pamphlets as well as a ban on all digital and social media advertising. If enacted, such a provision would have a devastating effect on the print media. Banning inserts of alcohol adverts in newspapers alone would mean a revenue loss of R260m a year, according to the South African Liquor Brandowners’ Association (Salba). Salba is still evaluating the effects of a proposed ban on newspaper advertisements as well as on internet, social media, cinema and movie advertising as proposed in the draft bill. In the original draft published in September in 2016 for public comment only the inclusion of alcohol advertisements as inserts in publications was targeted. The department’s acting deputy director-general, MacDonald Ntshetenzhe, confirmed the proposed change on Wednesday, with the depa...
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