Israel: Restricting Advertisement and Distribution of Alcoholic Beverages

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(Jan 31, 2012) On January 23, 2012, the Knesset (Israel's Parliament) passed the Restriction on Advertisement and Distribution of Alcoholic Beverages Law, 5772-2012. The Law prohibits advertisements of non-pharmaceutical beverages that contain more than 2% alcohol ("alcoholic beverages") on road signs/billboards as well as in any printed materials or in broadcasts that are designed for minors or that are aired during the time periods when minors usually watch or listen to them.

The Law further prohibits the granting of alcoholic beverages as an award in a program that is aired on television or radio. It similarly prohibits the distribution of strong alcoholic beverages, defined as those containing more than 15.5% alcohol, as prizes or as an encouragement to enter a competition or a lottery to receive prizes. It is also prohibited to mention the commercial name of alcoholic beverages' manufacturers as donors of prizes.

The Law limits the type of information that may be advertised in connection with the sale of alcoholic beverages. The Law also limits the number of advertisements that are permitted to be printed in any single edition of a newspaper or any other printed material.

According to the bill's explanatory notes, the Law was designed to address the increasing rate of alcohol consumption, especially among juveniles, and to "increase the awareness to dangers that are inherent in exaggerated drinking…, and their protection from such dangers." (Advertisement and Distribution of Alcoholic Beverages Law, 5772-2012 & bill's explanatory notes [both in Hebrew], the Knesset website (both last visited Jan. 27, 2012).)

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Last updated: 01/31/2012