A year ago we wrote to the BBC to ask them to explain their reasons behind the shocking advertising of Tennent’s lager during “Sportscene”. These Scottish Cup highlights were turned into a promotional event for Tennent’s on BBC Scotland (as has subsequent coverage of the Scottish Cup).

On studying the BBC’s coverage of the Scottish Cup on 7/2/04, not a lot has changed in a year, but at least they have changed the “cup” graphic, which used to sport the Tennent’s logo, but is now just a graphic of the cup itself.

The head of BBC Scotland’s Office of Public Policy gave us a frank explanation. The use of “Tennent’s” by BBC Scotland commentators before references to the Scottish cup is a “contractural requirement”. This is also the case regarding interview positions in front of a wall of Tennent’s logos.

The Westminster Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport told us that the BBC may not receive payment for advertising without the Secretary of State’s approval, but that the BBC believes that reference to branded products may be made “from time to time” to reflect the “real world” and must not be promotional in nature. Read the whole story (so far!)...

Doesn’t it make you sick? Well write a letter or send an email. It won’t take long, but could make a world of difference. Our letters have people thinking, and doing - the more of us who complain or advise, the quicker we can get results - and that means you too. Email me if you want to know how you can help.

There’s nothing like a good image to get the message through - to make sure you never forget what alcohol does every minute of every day. We update more trade names for you...

Alcohol is always in the news. Hit and run killer drivers "under the influence of alcohol", murders outside pubs and on public transport, famous people slowly killing themselves, the list is endless. Of course alongside these latest news stories, the usual destruction that alcohol brings, the abject day-to-day misery of the individual, the family and society, is mostly ignored.

 Consider how alcohol is marketed. The introduction of spirit and mixer in the one pocket money-priced bottle was bad enough, but the advertisers make childish television and billboard adverts to make their product further appeal to the immature mind. Some advertisement campaigns go further still by giving the impression that alcohol is as hip as illicit drugs.

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