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Letter to The Irish Times
Alcohol companies and motor sports
Sir, – In light of the recent statistics issued by the
Road Safety Authority that found that alcohol was a factor in almost 40
per cent of fatal road incidents, it is truly shocking to see Formula 1
agreed a five-year new sponsorship deal with Heineken.
The F1 deal with Heineken, estimated to be worth €133
million, places this alcohol company as one of the main sponsors of the
sport, with both trackside billboards and also sponsorship of teams in
F1. Alcohol brands are now dominating sponsorship in F1, linking popular
motor sport to one of the major killers on our roads, drink-driving.
A report on alcohol brand exposure during the F1
Monaco Grand Prix last year showed there were on average 11 references
to alcohol brands per minute, averaging one every five seconds. The
Monaco Grand Prix has a worldwide audience of around 500 million people,
and with the new deal in addition to the previous sponsorship
agreement, F1 is close to becoming more an event for granting the global
exposure of alcohol brands than a sporting event.
Between 2008 and 2012, 1,077 lives were lost in in 983
fatal collisions in Ireland alone. Surely Formula 1 has a
responsibility to break the link between drinking and driving? – Yours,
etc,
Prof FRANK MURRAY,
Chairman,
Alcohol Health Alliance Ireland,
President
Royal College of Physicians of Ireland,
Frederick House,
South Frederick Street,
Dublin 2
15th June 2016
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