Tobacco advertising and drinks with alcoholic content on TV is a potato hot for many states, which juggle trying to reconcile the strong pressures exerted by industry and the general interest of citizens.
Adopt a regulation sufficiently restrictive, to satisfy the Social organizations, it has not been easy, given that it is about products that, although scientifically proven to harm health, enjoy all legality and are manufactured and marketed openly. Consequently, the industry expects states the minimum guarantees that allow it to carry out its activity. And in the contemporary world it is known that marketing and Advertising strategies are decisive in success or failure of every business.
But not only industries tobacco and liquor company push for legislation not so much restrictive: so do the media, which resent the reduction of their income due to the decline of the Guideline and denounce that this situation can threaten the freedom of expression.
Such a circumstance makes the national legislation on the subject is disparate and clash permanently with the globalization of the media mass communication, especially television and the internet. However, at a slow and safe pace a consensus on the need to limit advertising to these products.
In the European Union, for example, where Parliament's directives are welcomed but with differences in scope by the 25 countries of the community, there is the fact that the signs contain commercials that respond to the legislation of the country that the originates, sometimes contravening the normativity of the states that receive them.
For now, the states of the The European Union has more or less radically banned the advertising of tobaccos and cigarettes, but some are more permissive than others with regard to beverages with alcohol content. In Sweden, for example, it is prohibited in press, radio and television tobacco advertising and its derivatives, which aims to sell the product. Whereas countries such as Spain, Luxembourg, Greece, Germany, Austria, France, Finland, Portugal, Belgium, United Kingdom, Ireland, Countries The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway have drastically banned it in television and radio. Hungary exempts events from ban and economically important developments for the country. And France totally bans it.
Better luck has run the beverage industry with alcoholic content. The directive of the European Union establishes the conditions that must be respected advertising broadcast on television. This is that no will be specifically aimed at minors and not present children consuming such beverages; will not associate the alcohol consumption to an improvement in physical performance or to the driving vehicles; shall not give the impression that the alcohol consumption contributes to social or sexual success; No suggest that alcoholic beverages constitute a means of resolve conflicts, among others. However, France was more there and totally banned the advertising of beverages with alcoholic content on television.
In Spain they are not transmitted commercials advertising alcoholic beverages, but yes these products are allowed to have a static presence as sponsors of musical and sporting events.
In Chile it is only allowed advertising of cigarettes and liquors in audience slots adult. And in exceptional cases the brands can be mentioned, but not the products, when sponsoring a cultural event, sports or similar.
In Colombia, the advertising of tobacco and cigarettes were totally banned on television, the same as direct advertising of liquors and beverages with alcohol content. However, it can be transmitted indirect and promotional advertising in the adult group up to 60 seconds every half hour. And it is allowed in conditions special to sponsor cultural and sporting events.
For its part, Venezuela has the more severe legislation on the subject on the continent. The Law of Social Responsibility of Radio and TV does not allow advertising OF cigarettes and tobacco derivatives or alcoholic beverages at no time.
The General Health Law prohibits totally in Mexico tobacco advertising on radio and television, and allows the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the adult group, as long as the message itself promotes moderation in the consumption and warn about the damage to health caused by the abuse. Meanwhile, China decided to allow the manufacture of these products by individuals and at the same time prohibit all television advertising.
