Public health campaigners say legislators must take action to better regulate alcohol advertising during televised sporting events.

Alcohol advertisements are prohibited on free-to-air television during children’s viewing times, but there is an exemption for live sporting events.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is reviewing those broadcasting guidelines.

Alcohol and Drug Foundation senior policy officer James Petty said ACMA’s review was an opportunity to introduce a binding standard, free from industry influence.

“Alcohol advertising plays a powerful role in shaping our drinking behaviours and related harms…that’s why it’s important to reduce children and young people’s exposure to alcohol advertising, especially in the activities they love, like sport,” he said.

A recent report from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education found the volume of alcohol advertising during broadcasts had grown in the last year.

It also found all 17 NRL and 18 AFL teams are sponsored by at least one alcohol company, with brands displayed on jerseys, stadium advertising and during broadcasts.

In Australia, alcohol media regulation laws are managed by a co-regulatory model involving statutory agencies, federal and state governments, and industry bodies such as Free TV Australia, which represents networks such as Nine and Seven.

Dr Petty called for the introduction of a binding standard for alcohol advertising on television, free from commercial and industry influence.

“If we’re serious about keeping individuals, families and our communities healthy and safe, more needs to be done to reduce the significant harms associated with alcohol,” he said.

“These changes would help protect our children from the promotion of harmful products and keep us focussed on what’s important – the game, our communities and our families.”

Founder of the WA Public Health Advocacy Institute, Mike Daube, said the last thing alcohol industries want is legislative changes to promotion guidelines.

“The message it sends out to children, young people in the community, is that alcohol use is great, and the more of it the better,” he said.

Professor Daube said industry-led, self-regulatory voluntary codes created and adopted by broadcasters, advertisers, and peak industry bodies had no real consequence.

“If [the alcohol industry] is happy with some measures, then you know they’re not going to have any impact at all,” he said.

“The clubs and leagues know perfectly well what they’re doing is quite irresponsible, but they do like chasing money.”