Stop soft soaping alcohol, TV bosses are warned

19th December 2003

Top TV soaps are setting a bad example to British boozers ? and risk encouraging binge drinking over the Christmas and the New Year festivities.
That?s the warning sounded by Alcohol Concern ? in the face of new research revealing that alcohol is shown on primetime TV every 8 minutes. That?s around ten times more frequently than references to illegal drugs.

The research also reveals that drinking scenes in soaps have almost doubled over the last 20 years ? from 3.9 per hour in 1983 to 7 per hour in 2003.

Now the charity is calling on the programmes? producers to make a New Year?s resolution to mend their ways ? and stop giving the impression that it?s clever to get drunk.

The research shows that popular television programmes are guilty of portrayals that make excessive drinking appear normal, expected and unproblematic, without adequately balancing that view with storylines showing the more problematic side of alcohol. While drinking is invariably shown as part of ?having a good time?, the realities of excessive alcohol consumption are rarely seen on our screens.

Recent figures on the consequences of alcohol misuse in the UK, show the problem costs the nation up to £6.4bn in the workplace, up to £1.7bn in the health service, and up to £7.3bn in crime and public disorder ? not to mention the devastating effects on family and social networks.

Drinking scenes in soaps are generally of a background nature, with much of the action taking place in venues like the Rover?s Return, the Queen Vic and the Woolpack. When characters are shown to have a potential drinking problem or to have drunk too much, it tends to be treated in a lighthearted manner.

Eric Appleby, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern, comments: ?At the moment, portrayal of alcohol is almost completely one dimensional. The message that comes across is that drinking is the norm and getting drunk carries no adverse consequences. This simply stokes the binge drinking culture in this country. We?d like to see a more rounded, accurate portrayal of alcohol on the box.

?The alcohol industry already spends close to £800 million a year promoting alcohol across all media, they do not need anymore help.

He adds: ?Plenty of young people watch these prime time shows ? and recent figures tell us that drinkers under the age of 16 are drinking twice as much today as they did ten years ago.

?Whilst it is right that our soaps should portray traditional local pubs and the important role they play in our communities, it is vital that at the same time, soap writers strive to show a true, balanced picture of the negative impact on individuals and communities that alcohol can bring, as well as the positive. One person getting intrusively drunk in the pub can spoil the evening for everyone else.

?Alcohol so frequently plays a part in human misery ? through health problems, crime, violence, accidents and financial ruin ? that, sadly, there is no shortage of dramatic potential storylines. If the writers need any help in story line development, we?ll quite happily advise!?

ends

Press Contacts:
Lee Lixenberg ? 07973 407422
Josh Bayly ? 07793 762818
Eric Appleby ? 07973 954069
Geethika Jayatilaka ? 07939 037730

Notes:

Alcohol Concern commissioned this research as part of its role within the Alcohol Harm Reduction Group, a coalition of three charities, launched last month to maintain pressure on the Government to publish and implement a National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy.

The Alcohol Harm Reduction Group includes Alcohol Concern, the national agency for alcohol misuse, Turning Point, the country?s largest social care charity working across the areas of drug and alcohol misuse, mental health and learning disabilities, and the London Drug and Alcohol Network (LDAN), the leading network organisation of drug and alcohol services across London.

The full report, entitled ?The portrayal of alcohol and alcohol consumption in television news and drama programmes?, was written by Anders Hansen of the Centre for Mass Communication Research at the University of Leicester ? and will be available at www.alcoholconcern.org.uk from December 28th.

Date: 19 December 2003