BRITISH advertising executives argued yesterday that recent controversy over so called "alcopops" had more to do with the way the fruit flavoured alcoholic drinks were packaged than how they were advertised.

The new British government said on Friday it would study problems caused by alcopops, amid growing concern they helped cause drunkenness and crime among teenagers.

Mr Lionel Stanbrook, deputy director general of Britain's Advertising Association, said the problems have been related to marketing - including labelling and packaging - rather than advertising.

"We make the distinction between the marketing and the advertising," Mr Stanbrook said. "There are very, very strict rules governing the advertising of alcohol.

"The difficulty resides in the nonadvertising area," he said, notably the packaging and labelling of alcopops.