Nearly 3,000 people die of alcohol-related causes in Denmark each year, leading members of the far-left party Enhedslisten (EL) to argue that it is time for alcohol to join tobacco and other products on the list of items not allowed to be advertised.
"We know that alcohol is harmful, so it just makes sense that it should be illegal to advertise it,” EL's health spokesperson, Stine Brix, told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. "We have a ban on tobacco advertising, so it can be done.”
Brix wants to meet with the minister of business and growth, Annette Vilhelmsen (Socialistisk Folkeparti), to discuss how a ban could be put in place.
When ruling coalition parties Socialistisk Folkeparti and Socialdemokraterne were in the opposition, they spoke in favour of a ban on alcohol advertising, especially when aimed at young people. However, they have not proposed any legislation to ban booze ads since they have been in power.
"It is not enough that they wanted to do something when they were in opposition,” said Brix. “They must also stand for it now that they are running the government.”
The group that represents the nation’s beer producers, Bryggeriforeningen, was understandably not crazy about EL's proposal, saying that drinking was already declining in Denmark even though ads are allowed.
