Whereas sports play a central role in the development of health, physical fitness, and teamwork and in the values of competition, fair play and cross-cultural exchange for
young people worldwide, and millions of youth get socialization cues from sports; 

Whereas tens of millions of people worldwide, including millions of young people, have an intense interest in international sports competition, including the World 
Cup, Olympics, and other events, and follow the games closely in person and on television or radio, identifying with the games’ athletes and teams and idolizing their       
teams’ heroes;

Whereas millions of fans in stadiums view World Cup contests, and, in 2002, a cumulative audience of more than 28 billion people in 213 countries watched more than
41,000 hours of television coverage, including more than 1 billion viewers who watched the final match;

Whereas alcohol marketers have used international athletic competition as a means to cue young people to beer and drinking, and beer sponsorship and television ads
distort the positive, youth-development values of sports; 

Whereas mounting evidence around the world shows that exposure to television advertising for alcoholic beverages increases the likelihood that children will drink and
consume more heavily;

Whereas The World Health Report 2002 determined that 4% of the burden of disease and 3.2% of all deaths globally were attributed to alcohol, and that alcohol was
the foremost risk to health in low-mortality developing countries and the third in developed countries;

Whereas the 58th World Health Assembly resolved that harmful drinking is among the foremost underlying causes of disease, injury, domestic violence against women
and children, disability, social problems and premature deaths; is associated with mental ill-health; has a serious impact on human welfare affecting individuals, families,
communities and society as a whole; and contributes to health inequities;

Whereas FIFA, the organizer of the World Cup, “acknowledges the prominent role of sports, and especially football, as a vehicle for delivering clear and firm messages
to eradicate blights undermining society around the world;”

Whereas FIFA “has set up strategic alliances with international organizations that have long-established aims, such as UNICEF, WHO, ILO, UNHCR, SOS Children’s
Villages, and others, to link the power of football with the experience and ability of those who … are striving to make a better world” and states that better health for  children is one of its priorities;

Whereas FIFA has “become aware of the wider impact that promoting health issues can have on the everyday lives of people throughout the world” and points to its
elimination in 1986 of tobacco advertising in all its tournaments;

Therefore, the undersigned organizations, representing xx countries, call on FIFA and future World Cup host countries to:

· Examine the role of alcohol sponsorship, venue signage, and television advertising of alcoholic beverages in the World Cup for consistency with the values of sport,         health, and fair play represented by international sports competition; and

· Adopt clear policies about the promotion and advertising of alcohol that are designed to minimize and eventually eliminate their presence from World Cup games.

Return by email to: jhedlund@cspinet.org  

Jay Hedlund
Manager
Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV
Center for Science in the Public Interest
1875 Connecticut Avenue NW #3 00
Washington, DC 20016 U SA
Phone: 1-202-777-8322
Fax: 1-202-265-4954