Hundreds of Belgian brewers are urging the local government to reconsider plans to bring in changes to health warnings used in alcohol advertising.
Earlier this year, the country’s Council of Ministers approved a proposal from its federal health minister Frank Vandenbroucke to require all alcoholic advertisements to carry the phrase “alcohol harms health”.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
According to the local news outlets including Niewsblad and RTV.be, the government is looking to change the health warning on ads from the phrase “alcohol abuse harms health”.
In a press release, local trade association Belgian Brewers said both it and other organisations were urging officials “to reconsider the draft Royal Decree on alcohol advertising” through an open letter.
“The health warning proposed by the federal Minister of Public Health makes no distinction whatsoever between abuse and responsible enjoyment,” Belgian Brewers said.
The group’s open letter said: “From now on, the federal government equates a single cold pint or every glass of wine with an attack on your health.”
It added: “While France defends its wine as culture heritage and Italy proudly guards its Parma ham, Belgium chooses to point the finger at its own tradition and national pride.”
“Let there be no doubt: alcohol abuse must be tackled. But if the government no longer distinguishes between abuse and responsible enjoyment, we lose something fundamental.”
More than a 100 brewers have signed the letter, the association said, as well as hospitality federations from the Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels regions, the national food trade body Fevia, among others.
“The claim ‘alcohol harms health’ unnecessarily stigmatises an entire sector that drives investment, creates thousands of jobs, and fosters social cohesion,” said Krishan Maudgal, CEO of Belgian Brewers.
The claim ‘Alcohol harms health’ unnecessarily stigmatizes an entire sector that drives investment, creates thousands of jobs, and fosters social cohesion. Moreover, a sector that is already under severe pressure,” said Krishan Maudgal, CEO of the Belgian Brewers federation.
“Protect minors. Combat abuse. Absolutely. But do not attack what brings us together,” he added.
The trade association added that brewers wanted to engage in talks on proposals with the government “that could actually make a difference in the fight against alcohol abuse”.
As well as tweaking the health warning, Vandenbroucke’s proposal included a ban on offering free alcohol with a magazine or buying other products.
