The government has ruled out a complete ban on alcohol advertising but confirmed it is exploring “partial restrictions”, in line with the HFSS junk food ad ban.
Today’s clarification follows yesterday’s news that alcohol advertising could face a complete ban across the UK, according to a leak from the Department of Health & Social Care, seen by Sky News.
While the official document outlining the full NHS 10 Year Health Plan is due to be released next week, a draft of one section had reportedly set out plans to ban alcohol advertising within the UK.
It was initially feared that the move would be a blanket ban, similar to that faced by the tobacco industry in 2003.
However, a DHSC spokesperson has confirmed that will not be the case, telling The Grocer: “The 10 Year Health Plan will not include a ban on alcohol advertising”. They admitted, however: “We are exploring options for partial restrictions to bring it closer in line with advertising of unhealthy food.”
The full detail will be revealed next week when health secretary Wes Streeting officially launches the plan, which is expected to focus heavily on the prevention of health issues.
‘In line’ with HFSS ad ban
While the news that a total advertising ban is not being considered as part of Streeting’s wide-ranging health proposals will be welcomed by many across the alcohol and advertising industries, any comparison to the HFSS junk food ad ban brings concerns of its own.
If similar terms are agreed, then the move could include a ban on broadcast adverts being shown before the 9pm watershed, as well as a complete ban on alcohol advertising online, including social media and influencer marketing. Restrictions could also have a major impact on national sports, such as rugby league, which have sponsorship partnerships with alcohol brands.
Now due to come into force in January 2026, HFSS advertising restrictions have been delayed a number of times as the government faced increasing pressure from business and a threat of legal challenges over the rules. Both fmcg brands and the creative industries pushed back on the legislation, with business disagreeing with ministers and advertising watchdogs over how the guidance should be interpreted.
The alcohol industry has warned of a similar backlash, pointing out that a ban could be “a hammer blow to firms”, and that government ministers “must think of unintended consequences”.
Industry concerns
Restricting alcohol advertising suggests the government has taken a strategic decision to pivot towards reducing the UK’s overall alcohol intake rather than solely focusing on reducing harmful consumption.
Industry watchdog the Portman Group said it was ”not in favour of broad, sweeping measures that impact the moderate majority while ignoring the needs of those who drink at the most harmful levels”, adding that ”the vast majority of people” drink within the chief medical officer’s weekly guidelines.
“We are deeply concerned by the figures that tell us that 3% of the UK population drink 30% of total alcohol consumed and so we support the use of targeted measures to manage the complex often interrelated issues resulting in harmful consumption,” it continued.
“The industry already takes responsible marketing very seriously and we look forward to engaging if there are future consultations around this to ensure we can continue to protect consumers.”
However, the wider remit has been welcomed by professionals in the health sector. Professor Ian Gilmore, founder of the Alcohol Health Alliance, told Times Radio he was “excited” by the possibility of a ban.
“It’s the first time in over 12 years that we’ve had anything that’s remotely approaching an evidence-based policy,” he said.
”Because we do know that the things that drive heavy drinking are price, availability, and marketing. So if government is serious about doing something about marketing, I would see this as a definite step in the right direction.”
Jem Roberts, head of external affairs at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said restrictions on alcohol advertising would be “very welcome”, adding that it ”must be combined with measures like minimum unit pricing and limits on the availability of cheap, high-strength alcohol, which are proven to save lives and reduce health inequalities”.
Licensing restrictions and minimum unit pricing were both being considered as part of the NHS 10-year plan, but have been either ruled out by Streeting or were not included in the leaked draft.
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