Doctors made the call yesterday at the British Medical Association's annual meeting, voting overwhelmingly in favour of the motion for the government to ban alcohol advertising as it had done for tobacco advertising.
The call for a ban has been met with anger by the alcohol industry. The Portman Group, which represents the industry and promotes responsible drinking, said that there was no need for further restriction on advertising.
A spokesman for the Portman Group said: "Rules currently exist to regulate advertising and are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority, the Radio Authority and the Independent Television Commission."
The motion was brought at the medical students conference by Leigh Blisset. He said that alcohol was directly responsible for 4,000 deaths and indirectly for 28,000 deaths a year, mostly through accidents. It was opposed by Dr David Pring, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist from York, who said that backing the motion would make them look silly.
Reports say that the next move will be for the BMA to prepare a report on the effects of advertising and write to the government.
The alcohol industry is increasingly wary of facing mass litigation, like the tobacco industry has. Only this week Diageo, maker of Guinness and Gordons Gin, has appointed Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO to work on a campaign to promote safer drinking. Last July, rival drinks group Allied Domecq pledged to include responsible drinking messages on all of the advertising for its brands, which include Ballantine's whisky and Tia Lusso, the cream liqueur.
In September last year, the Portman Group overhauled its code to cover not just advertising, but wider aspects of marketing including promotion, sponsorships and branded merchandise.
Self-regulation already states that alcohol advertising should not encourage excessive drinking, target under-18s or associate drinking with success in the sexual arena.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .