G’day Good Geares, today I’m going to guide you through Australia’s advertising hypocrisy like that annoying cannabis-smoking uncle at the family BBQ
Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:
- Dolphins smoking pot. The hypocrisy of the advertising game
- Podcast takeaways – gratitude is annoying, but it works
The TGA Stops Pot Advertising BUT We Continue To Try & Kill People With Alcohol Advertising
The Dolphins NRL team recently faced scrutiny and had to remove the branding of their medicinal cannabis sponsor, Alternaleaf, from their jerseys and stadium signage due to regulatory concerns from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
The decision came after the TGA reviewed the sponsorship to ensure compliance with the advertising requirements under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, which prohibits the advertising of prescription-only medicines, including medicinal cannabis, to the public.
The review by the TGA was prompted by concerns that the partnership could potentially be seen as promoting the use of medicinal cannabis. Despite sports teams being allowed to have sponsorships with companies involved in supplying therapeutic goods, direct or indirect advertising to the public is not permitted. The Dolphins cooperated with the TGA, which led to a decision to cover the Alternaleaf branding during games to adhere to the advertising laws (Mirage News) (Sporting News) (Cannabis Law Report).
This situation highlights the madness in our advertising standards in Australia.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great thing that we have strict laws around advertising prescription-only medicines in Australia, however, we do have some pretty eye-watering conflicts in the advertising space.
The negative impact of alcohol advertising in sports in Australia is off the charts, particularly among young people.
The prevalence of alcohol advertising in sports has been shown to influence underage drinking habits, encouraging them to start drinking earlier and consume alcohol more frequently. A staggering exposure rate sees Australian children and adolescents experiencing over 50 million exposures to alcohol advertising each year through major sporting telecasts like AFL, NRL, and cricket, which comprise 60% of all alcohol advertising in televised sports (Monash Lens).
The impact extends beyond mere exposure. There is a strong correlation between alcohol advertising in sports and increased alcohol consumption among youth, with sports-related alcohol ads often portraying drinking as synonymous with sportsmanship and success. (Monash Lens).
Moreover, despite the vast majority of Australians, particularly parents, advocating for stricter regulations on alcohol advertising in sports, we currently operate within a self-regulatory system (bonkers I know) that has not surprisingly been criticised for its ineffectiveness in protecting children from exposure to alcohol advertising, especially during prime sports viewing times (Monash Lens).
It would be funny if it wasn’t so infuriating that on the one hand, we ban a logo on a jumper for medical cannabis (correct decision for what it’s worth) but on the other hand, we will allow alcohol logos on any bloody place it will fit when we know hands down it will cause carnage to the community.
I think when things like this happen it is important for people in positions of influence to use the opportunity to call out the hypocrisy. Despite the power of the alcohol industry, it’s not a hopeless cause. It’s been done before with smoking and it can be done again with alcohol.
Over to you
We would love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you notice the impact of alcohol advertising in your household and or daily life?
Shoot us an email back and tell us what you think
This week’s Podcast Takeaways
Prison Escape, Heroin Addiction & A Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
- If Danny Can do it, anyone can. Danny had 14+ years of heavy heroin addiction, spiralling his life out of control and eventually ending him up in prison (he even has a prison escape story which he talks about on the pod) It’s a simple but powerful message. No matter how low you go, don’t give up on giving up.
- Gratitude. Danny is brimming with gratitude for his life to the point in which it’s almost annoying. (that’s a joke) I once heard in the early days of my recovery that it’s hard to drink or use with an attitude of gratitude
Can You Be A Functional Drug User?
- Fighting against early exposure is critical, hence why the alcohol advertising conversation above is so important. Chloe started using alcohol and cannabis around age 12, finding relief from anxiety and emotional pain. I believe if we had a different cultural conversation and the outside stimulus towards alcohol and drugs was reduced we could encourage more youth to work through mental health and emotional challenges through other avenues, preventing future substance use issues (rose colour glasses I know)
- Relapse is complicated If we are being frank I don’t even like the word relapse because it’s so complicated. Substance use looks different for everyone depending on lots of different variabilities. The one thing that Chloe talked about as the most important factor throughout her whole recovery journey was having a supportive community around her. no matter where you’re at I would highly recommend finding your supportive community so they can catch you if you stumble.
GOOD GEAR MEME OF THE WEEK
That’s a wrap from Us today. One more thing, we have our brand new Program out called The “Wholeness Shift” Our first live coaching call starts on 19/04/2024. The launch pricing ends on the time 19th when the first coaching call goes live. Don’t miss out.
