Health minister proposes ban on “living beings” in alcohol ads

Czech Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch has come out with a proposal that alcohol advertisements should not feature “living beings”. Speaking at a conference on alcohol and tobacco on Wednesday he said that advertisements should not create the impression that alcohol is “a good friend“. The ministry is currently preparing new legislation which aims to regulate such advertisements as well as limiting their broadcasting time.

Current laws state that advertisements cannot encourage irresponsible drinking, nor describe abstinence in a negative or ironic fashion.

The Czech Republic ranks among countries with the highest level of alcohol consumption in the world, with up to 1.5 million Czechs drinking at risk levels according to experts.