Alcohol regulation arrives in Parliament: Restrictions on sales and promotion!

Making a statement regarding the new legislative proposal, AKP Group Chairman Abdullah Güler stated that the regulation introduces new limitations on the sale and promotional activities of alcoholic beverages. Güler said that the proposal has been submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

"COMBATING ADDICTION AND PROTECTING YOUTH"

Güler stated that the rationale behind the regulation is to combat addiction and protect the youth. Referring to Article 58 of the Constitution in his statement, Güler made the following assessment:

"There is an article we included in our legislative proposal in the name of combating addiction and protecting our youth and families. Article 58 of our Constitution, titled 'The State takes necessary measures to protect youth from alcohol addiction, drugs, crime, gambling and similar bad habits and ignorance,' also imposes the duty and responsibility of protection as a mandatory provision."

LIMITATIONS ON ADVERTISING AND SPONSORSHIP ACTIVITIES

Stating that new bans will be introduced regarding the advertising and sponsorship activities of alcoholic beverage producers within the scope of the proposal, Güler said that producer companies will not be able to support events using their names, brands, or logos.

Güler made the following remarks on the subject:

"We are moving towards a new regulation with the awareness of this responsibility. With this regulation, we are not allowing alcoholic beverage producers to support any event or engage in covert advertising using their names, brands, emblems, or logos."

INDIRECT PROMOTION WILL ALSO BE BANNED

Güler stated that indirect promotional practices carried out through brands will also be banned within the scope of the regulation.

"We are also banning such special practices that encourage purchasing, such as using low-alcohol beverage brands for high-alcohol beverages by taking advantage of our youth's brand familiarity," he said.

OVERSIGHT OF NIGHTTIME SALES BAN TRANSFERRED TO LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS

Stating that the authority to oversee violations regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages will also be changed in the legislative proposal, Güler announced that the oversight of sales, especially during nighttime hours, will be transferred to local administrative authorities.

Güler made the following statements:

"We aim to ensure oversight on-site and swiftly by transferring the authority to penalize violations of the alcohol sales ban between 22:00 and 06:00 to local administrators."

REMOVAL OF VISUALS IN STOREFRONTS TARGETED

Güler stated that it is also planned to remove elements that encourage alcohol consumption in workplaces within the scope of the regulation.

"We desire that all kinds of signs, text, and visuals that encourage our citizens and children to alcohol addiction be cleared even from the storefronts of workplaces and that their advertising be prevented," he said.

"OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY WILL BE WITH LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS"

Stating that the oversight authority will be transferred to local administrative authorities at the local level, Güler noted that this authority previously resided with the ministry.

"No, there is no ministry, friends. There was ministry oversight. Now it is directly with the local administrative authority on-site. Because there may be problems in terms of the ministry's specific central organization follow-up. The local administrative authority, as a representative of the ministry, is already more effective and has a more deterrent quality locally."

QUESTIONED WHETHER THERE IS A REGULATION FOR WINE PRODUCERS

During his statements, allegations that wine producers might be victimized were also brought up. Responding to this question, Güler stated that the regulation is not aimed at production.

"Friends, I mean, our wine producers, vineyard owners, this has nothing to do with them. The ban we are implementing regarding advertising and sponsorship is a mandatory provision of our constitution. In other words, this is a study conducted so that our youth, families, and children stay away from advertising, sponsorship, and other things that will encourage alcohol, promote it, and present it as if it were a very good drink. There is no regulation related to our producers, whether they are alcoholic beverage producers or wine producers, friends."

News Source: 12punto