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A piece featured in Monday’s edition of The Sydney Morning Herald, written by Michael Thorn, chief executive of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, linked the prominence of the promotion of alcohol in sport and alcoholism in society.
He deals specifically with how the frequency of alcohol advertisements throughout sporting broadcasts – and the large number of alcohol companies sponsoring sporting franchises – could convey the message to younger generations that alcoholism is acceptable or even potentially desirable.
This serious issue is demanding of public consideration and further action to ensure that the sporting landscape does not heighten the binge drinking culture, against which many of its organisations have defiantly fought.
Thorn wrote in direct response to the aftermath of Sunday’s ICC Cricket World Cup Final, in which the interviewing of former player and now commentator Shane Warne sparked the media into focusing upon the frivolous aspects of the Australian team’s celebrations that night.
Warne asked Brad Haddin, “are you thirsty?”, and of Shane Watson “So what’s the plan – besides lots of drink and that? How long is that going to last? Just one night, two nights?”, as an indicator of the irresponsible portrayal of alcohol, that he believes typical of the sporting landscape.
Undoubtedly, Warne was indeed highly irresponsible in making such remarks, especially since they were broadcasted to a global audience of billions, however I think it wrong to immediately attribute such irresponsibility to the entirety of the sporting community.
Over past years, many of Australia’s leading sporting organisations have taken steps towards the discouraging of alcohol-influenced behaviours.
Numerous campaigns have been produced, in conjunction with government agencies including the National Rugby League endorsed, “Know when to say when” campaign, and the similarly named campaign, “Know when to declare”, featuring voiceovers from prominent past cricketers, aired during Channel Nine’s summer cricket broadcasts.
However the point made by Thorn is that these campaigns will be extremely limited in their successes, due to the high level of alcohol advertisement and endorsement, which clubs and organisations justify for economic reasons.
In every major sporting league in Australia you will find alcohol companies as sponsors, their names plastered across fields and billboards, and also as club sponsors with their logos printed upon player clothing.
Add to this the barrage of alcoholic advertising, to which the viewer is subjected during commercial breaks, that depict alcohol as key to social behaviour, and it becomes clear that this is the source of influence.
Only sporting organisations, that is the leagues and clubs possess the power to reduce the wide exposure of alcoholism, that is being beamed into homes, and sending a clear message to young, susceptible viewers.
The morals behind the need for stricter restrictions make logical sense, however deciding the form that the restrictions should take is a far more precarious issue.
A balance needs to be achieved that ensures economic sustainability for sporting organisations, while reducing the debilitating consequences of alcohol advertising.
A similar balance is required in broadcasting restrictions also, as alcohol companies are among the highest paying for advertisements. This revenue enables television networks to pay the high prices for broadcast deals set by sporting leagues to allow fund distribution to subsidiary clubs.
One thing is clear though, that the actions of sporting personalities, most recently Shane Warne in promoting the acceptance of a drinking culture, can only be reduced in frequency by attacking the source of their justification.
We cannot risk continued beaming of material that promotes a damaging drinking culture into the homes of young Australians.
Our sporting organisations must step up and see that change is necessary.
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