Planned alcohol advertising restrictions sunk after industry lobbying, freedom of information requests show

Plans for alcohol advertising restrictions were dropped by government after firms including Budweiser, Greene King, and Heineken warned they would harm the economy.Labour had been considering stricter regulations on ads, including a 9 pm TV watershed, as part of its 10 year health plan published last summer.12But freedom of information (FOI) requests by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) show that these proposals were abandoned shortly after the drinks industry sent warning letters to ministers and department officials.3One letter from the brewer and pub chain Greene King to health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said the restrictions would have a “crippling impact” on the sector.Heineken also wrote to Streeting warning the plans would “impede growth and investment” and cause “widespread disruption” across the industry.Budweiser told Streeting that ad restrictions would create “unnecessary regulation” and “impact on investment,” while a letter from whisky firm Chivas Brothers forecast a “devastating impact…