Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to classifying alcohol as an unhealthy product under high fat, sugar and salt marketing restrictions (1) to strengthen limits on alcohol advertising, and (2) to reduce alcohol exposure among vulnerable populations, including children and adolescents.

We recognise the need for more action to address the impact of alcohol on health.

We are working across Government to determine the best ways to reduce alcohol-related harms. To strengthen the evidence base on the impact of alcohol marketing on levels of consumption, the Department has commissioned a study to examine the causal association between alcohol marketing and alcohol related attitudes and consumption. Further information on the study, Examining the causal association between alcohol marketing and alcohol-related attitudes and consumption: A longitudinal cohort study with adults in the United Kingdom, can be found on the University of Stirling’s website, in an online only format.

For this reason, there are no plans, currently, to reclassify alcohol as an unhealthy product under the existing high fat, sugar, and salt marketing restrictions.