Alcohol Advertising Review Board
The Alcohol Advertising Review Board (AARB) accepts and reviews complaints from the Australian community about alcohol advertising. The Alcohol Advertising Review Board is an initiative of the Alcohol Programs Team at PHAIWA and the Cancer Council WA.
Mission of the Alcohol Advertising Review Board
To administer an independent alcohol advertising complaint review service to help protect the community from inappropriate alcohol advertising and encourage effective regulation of alcohol advertising.
The Alcohol Advertising Review Board was developed in response to concerns about the current voluntary alcohol advertising regulation system. We believe the regulation of alcohol advertising should be independent of the alcohol or advertising industries.
Make a complaint
If you see an alcohol ad that concerns you, contact the Alcohol Advertising Review Board. Making a complaint is simple – just send a pic or a link (if you can) to the advertisement and briefly describe why it concerns you. At the Alcohol Advertising Review Board website you will find an online form and contact details to submit complaints.
Key concerns
Exposure to alcohol advertising shapes young people’s beliefs and attitudes about drinking, and increases the likelihood that adolescents will start to use alcohol and will drink more if they are already using alcohol.
In Australia, alcohol advertising is subject only to a voluntary code administered by the alcohol and advertising industries. Advertising self-regulation is favoured by the industry, yet self-regulation tends to be largely ineffective.
Young people are exposed to alcohol advertising in many different forms.
Self-regulation of alcohol advertising has consistently failed to protect young people from exposure to alcohol advertising and promotion or ensure it is socially responsible.
Aims of the Alcohol Advertising Review Board
- Provide an independent system of alcohol advertising review;
- Support the community to respond to inappropriate alcohol advertising;
- Ensure the complaint process is easy for community members to engage in; and
- Address the content and placement of all forms of alcohol advertising.