Campaigners for the Christian Peoples Alliance party have outlined steps they would take through the London Assembly to tackle the abuse of alcohol if elected in May.
In addition to firmer enforcement against under-age sales, the party will tackle the glamour associated with drinking by ending all advertising of alcohol to under-18s in London's cinemas.
In a bid to tackle a culture of binge drinking among youngsters, the party says if elected in the May elections, they would work with London's borough councils so they used their statutory powers to slap '18s only' classifications on all alcohol adverts shown in cinemas. They would also work with broadcasters to end all promotion of alcohol on television before the 9pm watershed.
CPA Councillor Denise Stafford from Canning Town in Newham said: "Street hooliganism and binge-drinking will only end when there's a complete change in culture. We want to see under-age sales tackled among other steps. But we must also deal with how alcohol is promoted to young people.
"The group Alcohol Concern say that 82 per cent of films shown in cinemas featuring alcohol adverts have ratings of 15 or below. The CPA will campaign across London to get the boroughs to act at local level so this is stopped."
Under existing law, the British Board of Film Classification only recommends classifications. But under the Licensing Act 2003, it is local authorities who have the final say on what films and adverts are shown in cinemas.
Leader of the CPA, Cllr Alan Craig added: "The Christian Peoples Alliance is not anti-alcohol and I am not teetotal. But we have to look at the consequences of the culture we have got. Current rules which state adverts must not imply drinking brings social or sexual success have not worked. Politicians which say nothing can be done must move out of the way and let the change-makers take action."
The CPA is basing its policy on research evidence published last year by Alcohol Concern in a report entitled Glass Half Empty? It offered a wide-ranging assessment of the impact of the Government's alcohol harm reduction strategy.
The report stated that the amount of alcohol consumed by girls aged between 11 and 13 increased by 82.6 per cent between 2000 and 2006, whilst for boys the number went up by 43.4 per cent in the same period.
The CPA is also campaigning for an end to advertising of alcohol on TV before the watershed. Citing evidence from Alcohol Concern, the party says that the European Court of Justice has already refuted advertisers' arguments and ruled that it is undeniable that advertising acts as an encouragement to consumption.
It says supermarket alcohol promotions were shown twice as often before 9pm - the time when children are more likely to be watching TV - compared to after.
