Establishments allowing their guests to buy wines by simply inserting a prepaid card into automated machines will need to eliminate those machines when the new Legal Framework in Prevention and Control of Alcohol Consumption by Minors takes effect in the future, Dr Lam Chong, Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said.
The Legal Framework is now under public consultation. As the responsible public entity, the Health Bureau (SSM) has held several public sessions including with wholesalers and retailers of alcoholic drinks and products.
In the bill, the bureau proposed to ban the service and sale of alcoholic drinks from automatic vending machines. At the recent industry consultation session, sellers asked a medical doctor whether a bar or a restaurant would be allowed to install wine dispensers in their establishments.
Moreover, sellers also found it unclear whether bars or restaurants would be allowed to, for example at promotional events, disseminate free alcoholic drinks to or offer customers to take their own alcoholic drinks.
Lam explained that provided a machine offers alcoholic drinks in exchange for money, it will be considered an automatic vending machine. Judging from that, Lam said the law would not allow the practice.
On the other hand, in the “promotional event” situation, he said it would be too vague to make any comments. The bureau would make decisions on a case by case basis if the law is passed.
Furthermore, the bill proposes the addition of warning messages on advertisements, similar to those on cigarette packages. Lam was asked whether price tags of alcoholic drinks would be considered advertisements. Sellers revealed that price tags are considered advertisements in Hong Kong.
In response, under the current law, Lam explained that price tags would not be considered advertisements unless they indicate a discount. He said it would carry the same implication of an advertisement, meaning that warning messages should be added. AL
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