03.07.12 from TV3
Supermarket chain Centra is at the heart of a storm of controversy today after a flyer advertising “Children’s Allowance Day Deals” featured deals on alcoholic drinks.
The flyers appeared at four stores and Centra have said that the promotion was not part of a national marketing or promotional plan.
Fianna FaÃl Senator Averil Power said that she was “genuinely shocked to see a respected company and brand name like Centra associated with such a cynical and reckless promotion.”
Fine Gael Meath-East TD and member of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, Regina Doherty, has pointed to the incident as being indicative that self-regulation of alcohol sales is not working.
She said that “Centra is blatantly abusing the standards on the responsible promotion of alcohol. This case further underlines the fact that self-regulation of the industry is not working. We have become accustomed to large retailers selling alcohol below cost as a means to attract customers, but this is a new low.”
The stores advertising the promotion were located in Dublin’s East Wall and Fairview areas, Offaly and Wicklow. The promotional flyers have since been withdrawn.
In a statement released today, a Centra spokesperson said that “Centra takes the sale and promotion of alcohol extremely seriously and has instructed the Centra retailers concerned to immediately withdraw the promotion.”
Alcohol Action Ireland say 1 in 11 children in Ireland have a parent with an alcohol problem.
The promotion has been referred to the Office of the Director of Consumer Affair.
