Who: Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP)
Where: United Kingdom
When: 21 January 2021
Law stated as at: 1 February 2021
What happened:
CAP has announced some immediately effective minor updates to the CAP Code and the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP Code) in relation to the definitions of alcoholic drinks.
In detail:
- Alcoholic drinks are now those containing more than 0.5% alcohol. Previously, the threshold was drinks with at least 0.5% alcohol. The change means that drinks with exactly 0.5% alcohol are no longer in scope.
- Low alcohol drinks are now those containing more than 0.5% and up to and including 1.2% alcohol. Previously, the range was between 0.5% and 1.2%.
Why this matters:
The updates may be minor but are important in light of the growing market of low-alcohol products. Platforms and other websites may also be interested in these changes to the extent that any alcohol volumes are referenced in their advertising policies.
