The consideration of a ban on alcohol sponsorship of sport is still very much on the Government agenda according to Junior Health Minister Alex White who was responsible for championing the ban over the past 12 months.
In an interview with the Sunday Business Post over the weekend, White suggested that a ban could still be introduced in the lifetime of the current government which will be around two and a half years.
“I’ve always acknowledged the concerns of sporting organisations about funding as legitimate, but my concern is public health, and I believe that a restriction and ultimately a ban on sponsorship is the right way to go,” he said before adding that it was important to set a date for the ban even if that did mean a lengthy period of phasing out.
An expert group reporting back to the Department of an Taoiseach was set up last year after Government decided that now was not the right time to impose a ban that could take as much as €35 million out of the commercial partnership investment in Irish sport.
White’s own specific area of responsibility in Primary Care has an annual budget of €400 million, and that is part of an overall public spend on health in Ireland of over €13 Billion.
Much of this is spent on picking up the pieces of national health issues that could be dramatically improved if a greater public health emphasis were placed on health and fitness.
At present the Government contributes a little over €40 Million through the Irish Sports Council towards programmes and activities aimed at encouraging sports participation either directly or through the inspiration that derives from the success of an elite sports programme.
This represents less than one third of one per cent of overall health spending. If even that amount again was diverted towards preventative action through sport it would quickly pay off in terms of a reducing need for health spending further down the line.
Sport for Business has long advocated that if the Government is serious in its intent to reduce alcohol sponsorship in sport that it should make up the funding through public health promotion investment in much the same way as proved successful through the Road Safety Authority.
It is always the case that coming forward with a positive proposal will make the delivery of a change in public behaviour more likely.
Continued talk of bans and prohibition of alcohol companies investment in sport creates uncertainty within the planning of programmes and frustration at the fact that sport is continually being singled out.
Minister White again reiterates that music and entertainment sponsorship is not in question because of a different age profile and appeal but there is no justification presented as to why an audience at a rock concert in Croke Park is more mature and better able to cope with alcohol advertising that a sporting one.
Lesson for Sport: The sponsorship market remains a tight one with a threat hanging over the long term involvement of a major contributor
Lesson for Business: More needs to be done on responsible marketing of goods to those attracted to sport so that positive investment does not turn into a negative
