A total ban on advertising and marketing alcoholic beverages should be enforced, similar to that of cigarettes, after producers used loopholes to launch tacit marketing, says Samarn Futrakul, director of the Alcohol Control Committee Office.
After the Alcohol Control Act took effect nine years ago, blatant advertisements featuring beer glasses and bottles have decreased, said Dr Samarn, speaking at a seminar held Thursday in Bangkok.
However, there are loopholes which producers use to implement their marketing strategies, he added.
The loophole was reflected in a case last year when photos of celebrities posing with a beer brand went viral, Dr Samarn said. Some have admitted the offence and were fined while other cases are still being investigated.
The ban on advertising and marketing alcoholic beverages should be as strict as that of cigarettes, suggested Dr Samarn. Currently, advertisements on alcoholic beverages can be broadcast on TV after 10pm.
Alcoholic beverages can cause more than 60 diseases and cause serious accidents, he added.
Asst Prof Nitta Roonkaseam, a communication arts professor of Phranakhon Rajabhat University who has been monitoring marketing tactics of alcoholic drinks, said that celebrity endorsements and alcohol event sponsorship are common.
The trend in marketing of alcoholic beverages this year is more covert, Dr Nitta said.
It is done with other products such as water; however, the advertisements often alert viewers to sales of alcoholic beverages. Online marketing is also being implemented extensively.
Apart from the control on marketing strategies, Dr Samarn suggested other curbs should be implemented, such as areas and periods when selling alcohol should be banned, including long holidays when many accidents occur.
Research suggests a single measure won't help curb alcohol consumption, he said. But a combination of measures including advertising controls, taxes and physical restrictions would be successful.
Since the act took effect, more than 15,000 violation cases have been reported.