A HARD-HITTING advertisement that the alcohol industry tried to ban is now showing on cinema screens across the North-East.

The advertisement, produced by Balance, the North-East Alcohol Office, highlights the links between alcohol and seven types of cancer including mouth, bowel, liver and breast cancer.

Colin Shevills, director of Balance, said: “In the North-East we experience some of the worst alcohol related health problems in the country, but unlike tobacco, very few people associate alcohol with cancer. We need the public’s perceptions of alcohol to change.

“The aim of showing this advertisement on the big screen was to make more people aware of the link between alcohol and cancer, so they can make their own, informed decision about how much they drink.”

The Balance advertisement features a man preparing a meal. He takes a beer out of the fridge, pours it into a glass and takes a sip. At the bottom of the glass is a small tumour that begins to grow as he takes more sips of beer from his glass. As the man takes his final sips of beer from the glass, the tumour is seen sliding down the glass towards his mouth.

The thought-provoking advertisement is being shown at all 104 cinema screens across the North-East, showing before all but children’s films. It is estimated that around 400,000 people will see the advert during its five-week run.

When it was originally aired on TV screens in November last year, the advert was the subject of a review by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after sections of the alcohol industry complained that it was misleading. But in April this year the ASA ruled that the advertisement was not in breach of the UK code of broadcast advertising.