The Alcohol Advertising Law in Turkey
Alcohol advertising is completely banned in Turkey according to law.
Law No. 4250 on Alcohol and Alcoholic Beverages, as well as the Regulation on the Procedures and Principles of the Sale and Marketing of Tobacco Products and Alcoholic Beverages, prohibits every type of advertisement and presentation of alcoholic beverages, prohibits campaigns, promotions, and any activity that encourages the consumption and sale of alcoholic beverages in any kind of media.
Following are key factors in Turkish alcohol advertising law:
- Total ban on all forms of advertising including on TV and radio, ads in the cinema, product placement, printed media, etc., as well as social media and any digital platform.
- Ban on trademark logo and alcohol brand sign placements at points of sale, sales units, refrigerators, and coolers, any other portable and stable materials. With exceptions for service materials used to serve alcohol in restaurants and cafes that have licenses to serve alcoholic beverages, such as glass, corkscrews etc., but not common material such as plates, tablecloths.
- Alcoholic beverage manufacturers, importers and marketers cannot support or sponsor any activity by using the brand, logo, or sign of their products. If an alcohol company sponsors any activity they can only use the company name.
- Producers, exporters, and marketers of alcoholic beverages, regardless of the purpose, cannot give alcoholic beverages as promotions, gifts, or for free.
- Brand stretching is prohibited. Names, brands and other distinctive elements of alcoholic beverages cannot be used on non-alcoholic products nor any other products.
- Tasting activities by consumers is not allowed. Tasting is only allowed for those with a license in importers or wholesalers.
This comprehensive alcohol marketing regulation through the Turkish Alcohol Law encompasses the key area of the Alcohol Policy Best Buy measure – banning alcohol advertising, promotions and sponsorship, as recommended by the World Health Organization to prevent and reduce alcohol harm.
https://movendi.ngo/the-issues/the-problem/aiap/alcohol-policy-best-buys/
Alcohol policy and harm in Turkey – general overview
With is evidence-based alcohol control laws, Turkey ranks lowest among countries worldwide in terms of years of life lost due to alcohol, according to the WHO Global Alcohol Status Report, 2018. Between 2010 and 2016, per capita alcohol consumption has even slightly decreased.
©WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol 2018
However, as WHO data shows, there are serious alcohol problems also in Turkey. For instance, those people that engage in alcohol consumption do so at very heavy levels.
- Turkish men who use alcohol consume more than 33 liters per capita, per year.
- Among the alcohol consuming population, binge alcohol intake is also highly prevalent (21.7%).
- 8.1% of Turkish men have an alcohol use disorder.
- But in general, 93% of the adult population abstains from alcohol use.
In Turkey, more than 1000 cancer deaths are due to alcohol and liver cirrhosis from alcohol causes more than 1600 deaths every year.
