A household goods company that gave a free crate of wine to customers who bought a high-value fridge-freezer has been cleared of irresponsible promotion of alcohol.
The wine giveaway, by Harvey Norman, did not encourage irresponsible drinking, the complaints panel of the drinks industry-funded group, Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society (Meas), found.
However, the panel found that a drinks promotion by a Limerick night club, in which students were offered free alcohol shots, did breach the Meas code.
In the Harvey Norman case, a member of the public complained about the promotion involving an offer of six free bottles of wine for anyone who bought a fridge priced between €599 and €859, and 12 bottles of wine when a fridge-freezer worth between €1,249 and €1,699 was bought.
The panel rejected the complaint after noting the significant financial investment involved in buying a household appliance to avail of the offer and the fact that it was open only to over-18s.
In the second complaint, a member of the public complained that the promotion at Mor Disco in the Icon Night Club at Smyths Bar, Denmark Street, Limerick, would encourage illegal or irresponsible drinking.
After reviewing a Bebo website for the disco, the panel concluded that the promotion clearly fell within the category of promotions identified in the code as one that could "lead directly to alcohol misuse and anti-social behaviour".
It noted that management at the bar said measures had been taken to prevent the same thing from happening again.
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