The Alcohol Action Group was established to understand the presence of alcohol in people's lives across Scotland. Our group is made up of individuals who want to act to reduce alcohol harms in Scotland and people who have been impacted by the alcohol use of a loved one. We recently published our 'Alcohol Everywhere' report, which highlighted the vast presence of alcohol marketing and messaging in everyday life, and the negative impact this has - particularly for individuals in recovery. The report included a focus on the need for restrictions to sport sponsorship, and we strongly support the Calling Time campaign.

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Alcohol Action Ireland wholeheartedly supports this campaign to ban alcohol sports sponsorship.

By allowing alcohol producers access to the world of sport and its emotive landscape of success and team spirit creates deep associations with young people. It significantly influences their drinking behaviour and expectations, increasing the likelihood that they will start to use alcohol at an earlier age and to drink more if they are already using alcohol.

Pairing a healthy activity, such as sport, with an unhealthy product, such as alcohol, makes that product seem less unhealthy and more acceptable and normal. It creates a culture where children and young people perceive alcohol consumption as a normal everyday part of life and see it as something associated with having fun and sporting success.

There is no place for alcohol in sport.

- Dr Sheila Gilheany, CEO, Alcohol Action Ireland

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Sponsorship by alcohol companies has been woven into the fabric of the sports we love, capitalising on our emotional connections to our teams and players, so that we associate certain alcohol brands with healthy activity and high-performing athletes. This is the case even from a very young age, with children in Scotland commonly exposed to alcohol promotion through its association with sport.

Sport should be clean – it should inspire good health and active participation - and to use it as a promotional vehicle for an addictive and health-harming product is simply unacceptable. People in recovery have told us how angry they are at this and questioned why it’s one rule for tobacco and another for alcohol.

That’s why AFS supports this campaign and calls on the Scottish Government to act to end sports sponsorship. As recommended by the Expert Group on Alcohol Marketing, this should be part of a comprehensive approach to restricting alcohol marketing which places our human rights above the profits of alcohol companies.

- Alison Douglas, Chief Executive, Alcohol Focus Scotland

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Deaths from alcohol are at record high levels in the UK, yet alcohol marketing surrounds us and our children: 82% of young people recalled seeing at least one form of alcohol marketing in the last month.

Exposure to alcohol marketing encourages young people to start drinking earlier and drink more. This is especially concerning in relation to alcohol advertising in sports as teams can hold a special place in children’s hearts. In fact, a study of 13-14-year olds from four EU countries found that exposure to alcohol sports sponsorship through viewing a major football tournament was linked to a 70% increased chance of underage drinking.

The AHA advocates for a comprehensive restriction on alcohol sports advertising and fully supports the Campaign against Alcohol Promotion in Sport.

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Boroughmuir Thistle is the largest provider of female football in Scotland. We deliver 1700 player hours per week. so that girls and women of all abilities can meet their aspirations.

We are proud past winners of the SWF National Performance League Cup sponsored by SHAAP.

It is vitally important as female football finally receives more media attention that positive messages and role models are presented to grow further and it is clear that alcohol branding or sponsorship has no place here.

We therefore fully support the Calling Time campaign.

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Our members work to improve the lives of people with alcohol-related liver disease through research, health service improvement and advocacy. It is well established that alcohol directly causes alcohol-related liver disease as well as other harms to health and that alcohol marketing increases consumption. We strongly advocate that alcohol use should not be normalised in society and references to alcohol should be removed from everyday social events. It must be dissociated from sports, which are enjoyed by many including families and young people, to promote a positive and healthy lifestyle.

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The British Liver Trust is the largest UK liver charity for adults and we lead the fight against liver disease and liver cancer. Alcohol consumption is the most common cause of liver disease in the UK, accounting for 6 in 10 cases of liver disease. Regularly drinking over the recommended limit increases the risk of developing liver disease and liver cancer. Alcohol marketing through sport sponsorship encourages individuals to increase their alcohol consumption and therefore puts more people at risk of liver disease and cancer. This is why we are supporting the Calling Time campaign to put an end to alcohol sports sponsorship.

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Our members work to improve the lives of people with alcohol-related liver disease through research, health service improvement and advocacy. It is well established that alcohol directly causes alcohol-related liver disease as well as other harms to health and that alcohol marketing increases consumption. We strongly advocate that alcohol use should not be normalised in society and references to alcohol should be removed from everyday social events. It must be dissociated from sports, which are enjoyed by many including families and young people, to promote a positive and healthy lifestyle.

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Glasgow City are absolutely delighted to show our full support to SHAAP’s Campaign "Calling Time". As a club our entire ethos is built around championing women and girls and we see no place for alcohol sponsorship at our matches or indeed at any football matches.

We want to get more people active, fit and healthy. We know our game attracts families and young people and our role as a club is to be a positive influence on our followers the best that we can. In no way does alcohol promotion align with this and we hope as many other clubs as possible sign up to back the campaign. 

- Laura Montgomery, Chief Executive - Glasgow City FC

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IOGT-NTO fully supports SHAAP’s campaign against alcohol sports sponsorship. Considering the cultural, social and health importance of sport, particularly for children and young people, the link between the alcohol industry and sport that exists today is deeply regrettable.

There is a strong causal relationship between alcohol advertising and increased alcohol consumption. Exposure to alcohol advertisements statistically make young people start drinking at younger ages and in larger quantities. Despite this, the presence of the alcohol industry in sport often goes unquestioned.

With the harms of alcohol being widespread, including causing numerous forms of cancer, other diseases and social harm, continuing to let alcohol companies be present in the world of sport is indefensible. We hope the Scottish government welcomes and implements SHAAPs proposal of ending alcohol sports sponsorship, as this is an important step in combatting alcohol harm.

We want to see a sports culture free from alcohol marketing – for sport to work as a positive force promoting health rather than the profit interests of a harmful industry.

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We support SHAAP’s Calling Time campaign and its recommendation for the Scottish Government to introduce a total ban on alcohol sports sponsorship. The Scottish Government has led the way in introducing evidence-based alcohol control policies in recent years and can continue to do so with a total ban.

Ending alcohol sports sponsorship will help protect children and those in recovery from exposure to marketing that has been proven to increase alcohol harm. There’s an inherent contradiction between alcohol which is bad for health, and sporting achievement and excellence, and the sooner we move away from the cosy relationship they’ve had for years, the sooner we will reduce harm.

-  Dr Alison Giles, Interim Chief Executive, Institute of Alcohol Studies. 

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NCD Alliance Scotland support SHAAP’s campaign ‘Calling Time’, calling for the restriction of alcohol sports sponsorship. The Alliance recognise the significance of marketing in driving the consumption of health harming products and their subsequent burden on Scotland’s health.

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The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (the College) has consistently highlighted the impact of alcohol-related harms on individuals, and on the NHS at many levels. Additionally, we have supported positive measures designed to address alcohol-related harms, including the ground-breaking Minimum Unit Pricing legislation.

The regulation of alcohol marketing is clearly another area that should be comprehensively reviewed, in order to protect public health. The College welcomes this important piece of research which shines a light on how dependent some Scottish professional football teams are on alcohol sponsorship, and how this system of sponsorship compares with other European countries.

Given the intensity and high-level nature of alcohol sponsorship in Scottish football and in other high-profile sports, and the fact that children and young people are subjected to it as well as adults, the College backs the call for a full review of alcohol marketing regulations with a view to prohibiting alcohol sponsorship in sport in the interests of public health.

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Scottish Families is proud to support the Calling Time campaign. We hear every day about the distressing levels of alcohol-related risk and harm affecting whole families – children, young people, and adults. Over 1,000 people have died through alcohol in every single year but one of the past twenty years – a devastating loss of life. Our Alcohol Action Group’s ‘Alcohol Everywhere’ research, carried out by people with personal experience of alcohol harm, found alcohol sponsorship in sport plays a prominent role in the visibility of alcohol in daily life in Scotland. This was described as “in your face” and a “constant push for everyone to drink alcohol”. We believe that sport should be an alcohol-free space for families and communities to enjoy, from community to elite level. This will reduce harm now and for generations to come.

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Scottish Women’s Football takes the wellbeing of our players at all ages very seriously, as well as the importance of visibility and role models in building our sport. That’s why for a number of years now we have taken a policy of not taking sponsorship from alcohol or gambling products.

Not only does this reflect our responsibilities for the health and wellbeing of all participants in the sport, it also acknowledges the links that physical activity has with good health outcomes including reduced risk of disease and improved mental health. It is widely acknowledged that alcohol has negative impact on both.

What’s more, on top of our evident social responsibility, we feel our stance has been financially justified and supported by the sponsors we have attracted to the game in recent years. It has helped the image of the sport, rather than hindered it.

To further underline our commitment to this stance, in 2019 we linked up with Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems to raise further awareness as part of the performance pathway for elite players within our youth game. In 2022, this has now been rebranded the National Academy Programme and features the elite clubs in Scottish Women’s Football.

This programme nurtures the next generation of talent, and we hope that such a partnership allows us to support these young people to be healthy and well and make the best decisions as they rise to the top. The partnership allows us to promote positive messages around their health and wellbeing, and clearly would be undermined by commercial revenue from alcohol brands.

- Vivienne Maclaren, Chair of Scottish Women’s Football.

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Stenhousemuir FC is a club with the community at its heart and we are committed to the wellbeing of everyone in our community. A recent study indicated that if you live within ten miles of an SPFL football club stadium, you are three times more likely to experience poverty.  There is an established link between poverty and alcohol harms.  It is clear that we need to do more to break the link between football and direct alcohol sponsorship and advertising.  As such, I’m supporting calls to ban alcohol sponsorship in sport – there is no need for alcohol marketing to extend into what should be a healthy and positive experience for people, particularly the younger members of our communities, who visit our ground to play and support their local team.

- Iain McMenemy, Chairman – Stenhousemuir FC

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Supporters Direct has been working since 2000 to help football fans gain influence in the running and ownership of their clubs. We aim to protect, promote and further the interests of football fans. We also aim to promote sport and sports clubs as vehicles through which positive societal change can occur. We know that alcohol sponsorship of football influences alcohol consumption - which is particularly problematic for vulnerable fans such as young people and those in recovery, and that this is contributing to alcohol harms in Scotland. This is why we are supporting the Calling Time campaign to end alcohol sponsorship of Scottish sport.

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