Police say targeted alcohol ads are punishable

Sending targeted advertisements for alcohol by email can be punishable under alcohol laws, Hildur Sunna Pálmadóttir, deputy police commissioner in the capital region, told Morgunblaðið.

Her comments follow reports about online retailer Heimkaup emailing customers advertisements for beer and red wine. The law bans all advertising of alcohol and individual alcoholic drinks. It also prohibits showing alcohol consumption or other handling of alcohol in advertising or information about another product or service.

Police do not conduct proactive monitoring, Pálmadóttir said. Complaints or reports sometimes prompt action, which may lead to an investigation and a fine. But a formal complaint is not necessary: police can begin an investigation after seeing an advertisement themselves.

Alcohol-law violations are not among the police department’s priority cases, which are set by the director of public prosecutions, she said. However, the department still handles them. Its welfare division works on prevention, and police pay particular attention to children and young people in relation to alcohol advertising.