There is limited evidence available on whether alcohol advertising and counter-advertising impacts upon heavy drinkers’ alcohol consumption. Our study, a collaboration with colleagues at London South Bank University published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, aimed to address this…
Reactions on Twitter to updated alcohol guidelines
In January 2016, the UK’s four Chief Medical Officers released a public consultation regarding updated guidelines for low-risk alcohol consumption. To assess the immediate online response to the new guidelines, we conducted a content analysis of comments on Twitter using…
Does alcohol marketing lead to increased drinking?
In a systematic review, published 9th June, 2016 in BMC Public Health, we combined data from randomized, experimental studies that investigated the immediate effects of viewing alcohol marketing on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related cognitions.
Combining results from 7 studies with 758 participants, we found that individuals who viewed alcohol advertising consumed more alcohol than those who viewed non-alcohol advertising. We conclude that these findings lend qualified support to the public health case for restrictions, bans, or other policies that would reduce exposure to alcohol advertising on visual broadcast media to reduce alcohol consumption at the population level.
Immediate effects of alcohol marketing communications and media portrayals on consumption and cognition: a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies. Stautz K*, Brown KG*, King SE, Shemilt I, Marteau TM. (* = joint first authors)
Alcohol advertising increases positive non-conscious alcohol attitudes in heavier drinkers
Alcohol marketing may increase alcohol consumption by strengthening positive non-conscious (implicit) attitudes towards alcohol, which may make impulsive alcohol drinking more likely. In a BHRU conducted online experiment, published in Alcohol and Alcoholism, 373 participants aged 18-40 from the general population viewed one of three sets of adverts: (a) alcohol promoting; (b) alcohol warning or (c) non-alcohol adverts.
Cognitive and Behavioural Impact of Alcohol Promoting and Alcohol Warning Advertisements: An Experimental Study. Brown, KG, Stautz, K, Hollands, GJ, Winpenny, EM & Marteau, TM. Access full text.
Did the Scottish ban on multi-buy promotions reduce sales of alcohol?
A ban on selling alcoholic products on multi-buy promotional offers, i.e. “buy one get one free” (BOGOF) or “2 bottles for £8”, was introduced in Scotland in 2010. Our study suggested that the multi-buy ban had no effect on the…