Comment from Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, SHAAP Chair, following the announcement that JUBEL Beer will sponsor the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this year:
“The Commonwealth Games returning to Glasgow is great news for the city and for Scotland, and we’re looking forward to what should be a tremendous summer of sport.
“It is disappointing, though, to see JUBEL Beer announced as a sponsor for Glasgow 2026. Events like the Commonwealth Games draw huge audiences, many of them children and young people, and alcohol sponsorship means branding becomes part and parcel of the experience of watching and attending sport. The evidence is clear – the more young people are exposed to alcohol marketing, the earlier they are likely to start drinking and the more they are likely to consume.
“There are also people in recovery from alcohol problems for whom an event saturated with alcohol branding can be a real barrier to taking part.
“We’d urge the organisers of Glasgow 2026 and other major events to think carefully about the message alcohol partnerships send, and to find sponsorship models that let everyone enjoy sport without being exposed to alcohol promotion.”