The Department of Health and Social Care has delivered a message on ‘restrictions’ relating to alcohol, in response to a recent parliamentary question. The query relates to the rules governing the promotion of alcoholic beverages and whether they ought to be brought more into line with those for ‘less healthy food and drink’.

From January 2026, advertisements for less healthy food and drinks have been banned on television before 9pm and online completely. The UK Government maintains that this could assist in eliminating up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets annually, and decrease the number of children living with obesity by 20,000.

Against this backdrop, Danny Beales, Labour MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, questioned the Government earlier this month about whether it would undertake ‘an assessment of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on alcohol in line with existing restrictions on the marketing of less healthy food and drink’.

Ashley Dalton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department of Health and Social Care, replied to say that current alcohol advertisements follow ‘voluntary codes’. “Currently, alcohol advertisements follow voluntary codes, regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA),” she said.

“The ASA’s Advertising Codes contain specific rules about how alcohol can be advertised, as they recognise the social imperative of ensuring that alcohol advertising is responsible.

“The Department of Health and Social Care will continue to work with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, as the lead Government department responsible for advertising, to consider if additional statutory restrictions on marketing and advertising are needed to reduce alcohol related harms.”

Mr Beales’ question arrives at a time when approximately 15,000 people die each year in the UK from alcohol and drugs. Hundreds of thousands more suffer the long-term consequences, at an estimated annual cost of £47 billion to England.

This week, the Department of Health and Social Care also revealed it would be exploring wearable technology, artificial intelligence and even virtual reality projects as part of a scheme to combat drug and alcohol addiction across the UK. Government funding of £20 million in grants is now available to help develop these alongside innovative medicines in the coming years.

Applications opened on February 16, offering funding of up to £10 million for late-stage, high-impact projects that can prove real-world effectiveness.

Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance said: “Cutting-edge medicines and technologies could save thousands of lives lost to alcohol and drug addiction while improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands more. Backing both late‑stage technologies and earlier‑stage innovations means we are creating a clear and rapid route from breakthrough ideas to real‑world impact.

“This is about using the UK’s scientific excellence to prevent avoidable deaths and support recovery, while helping innovative companies to grow and thrive in the UK at the same time.”

What is alcohol misuse?

Alcohol misuse describes drinking patterns that are damaging or when someone has developed alcohol dependency. Apart from immediate consequences such as hangovers, headaches and dehydration, this behaviour can elevate the likelihood of multiple severe health complications. These include raised blood pressure, pancreatitis, liver disease, dementia and a range of cancers, amongst other conditions.

Drinking no more than four ‘units’ of alcohol per week, spread over three or more days, is therefore advised. That’s the same as six medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or six pints of 4% beer.

Further alcohol advice can be found at the NHS website here.