Following The Template To The Letter

If you're looking for an illustration of the path of prohibitionists as they strive to emulate tobacco control, Balance North East is as stark as they come.

Best place to start is their 'about us' page.

We are aiming to inspire changes to the way people in the North East think about and drink alcohol. We aren’t saying no to alcohol and we still want people to enjoy themselves. But we do want to encourage people to reduce their consumption

I'm sure that if archives remain of ASH documents from the 80s and 90s, we could read the same understated, and reasonable theme.

The target for anti-smokers back then was merely to restrict advertising of tobacco to protect ... go on, guess. Wow, you're quick! No ask the audience required to conclude it's 'the children', eh?

Balance, naturally, want the same meagre concession (for now) as this publicly-funded video shows.

They were planning on having this televised, but it was rejected by the ASA.

Our advert is being shown online, rather than on TV, because the advertising watchdog ruled that it contravenes regulations which prevent organisations lobbying Government.

Aww, shame.

While we do not object to the judgement in principle, we do question whether it is correct that an advert which seeks to protect and improve public health is banned while the alcohol industry bypasses the regulations on a regular basis.

So they are bypassing regulations by releasing their film online, whilst simultaneously demonising the drinks industry as this big nasty, irresponsible conspiracy to get kids addicted to alcohol ... by bypassing regulations (and you just know that at some point they will hypocritically bleat about alcohol 'ads' on YouTube and Facebook).

Hmm, it's now widely accepted that tobacco companies are inherently evil and happy to inflict cancer on kids to improve their profits. How did that happen? Oh yes, I remember now. It was a decades long campaign by tobacco control to demonise the tobacco industry as this big nasty, irresponsible conspiracy to get kids addicted to nicotine.

Coincidence? Possibly. So who is this outfit run by?

Colin Shevills
Director

A former communications consultant, he has extensive experience working in the field of public health. He previously helped to develop the brand for Fresh, Smoke Free North East and was instrumental in the successful launch of the office.

Getting uncanny, isn't it?

And what was their latest meeting about?

The author of the year’s most talked about book on alcohol is one of several exciting speakers lined up for our conference to mark the start of Alcohol Awareness Week.

Entitled ‘Enough is Enough – Calling Time on Second Hand Harm’, the conference will look at the damage which alcohol does to those around the drinker, from unborn children through to the wider community.

Inspired! Do you think they thought that up all on their own?

CAMRA, I'd start engaging with Forest sharpish if I were you, as it's not long before incessant propaganda dictates that you'll be widely viewed in the same contemptuous manner. You're toasting on a fork here.

Still, I might be over-reacting. This is just a local organisation, after all, as the 'about us' page points out.

Balance is the North East of England’s Alcohol Office - and the first of its kind in the UK.

That's all right then. I mean, there's no way other PCTs will see the swish website - designed with the obviously copious resources at their disposal - and covet the chance to spend taxpayer receipts on the same kind of thinly-veiled prohibitionism, is there?

And - do me a favour - even more unlikely that our incredibly wise Westminster overlords will sanction the spending of public cash on such illiberal stuff countrywide. It's not like we live in that shitty little puritan hell-hole off the north west coast of France or anything, is it?

Oh, hold on!