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A recent study published in The Lancet has investigated the effectiveness of alcohol health-warning labels in increasing public awareness about the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Conducted across 14 European countries, the online survey included 19,110 participants who consumed alcohol. They were randomly assigned to one of six label conditions to assess how different messages and formats affected their knowledge and perceptions.
The findings revealed that roughly a third of participants exposed to labels linking alcohol to cancer increased their awareness of the cancer risk. Specifically, labels featuring text-only messages, pictograms, and graphic images all significantly raised knowledge levels compared to a control group. Labels focusing on cancer risks were perceived as having the highest impact and relevance, with text-only and pictogram labels seen as clear and acceptable. However, labels with graphic images had lower acceptability and higher avoidance rates. Interestingly, women rated cancer labels as more comprehensible and acceptable than men.
(Source: Lancet – WRD News)
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The increasing popularity of zero-alcohol beverages among teenagers has raised significant concerns about the potential normalisation of alcohol consumption. A world-first Australian study, led by Leon Booth from the George Institute for Global Health and commissioned by the Cancer Council, highlights the potential risks these products pose to adolescent health and calls for stricter regulations. This comprehensive article delves into the study’s findings, expert opinions, and the broader implications for public health.
Appeal and Consumption Patterns Among Teenagers
Study Findings
A national survey involving 679 Australian teenagers aged 15 to 17 and focus group discussions with 44 teenagers revealed that more than half of the participants found zero-alcohol-branded products appealing. According to Dr. Booth, “More than a third had tried zero-alcohol products, and we found that they were really quite attractive to a large proportion of adolescents.” The study indicates that these products are making young people more familiar with alcohol brands and further normalising alcohol consumption.
- Gender Differences: The study found gender-specific preferences, with males tending to prefer the look of zero-alcohol beers, while female participants were more attracted to colourful cocktail drinks.
- Curiosity and Accessibility: Teenagers reported purchasing these drinks out of curiosity to learn what beer, wine, or spirits taste like. The ease of access and wide availability of these products in supermarkets have made them more attractive to young consumers.
Health Experts’ Concerns
Normalisation and Behavioral Conditioning
The Cancer Council and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation have expressed concerns that zero-alcohol products might condition teenagers into a harmful drinking culture. Julia Stafford, deputy chair of the Cancer Council’s Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee, emphasised that “there are currently no standards limiting the ways they simulate alcoholic products, or restrictions on marketing or sales, meaning young people can purchase these products and are exposed to marketing in highly visible places such as supermarkets.”
Eleanor Costello, evidence manager at the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, added that while these products help adults substitute alcoholic drinks, they could lead to behavioural conditioning in young people. “We’re concerned about how these products mimic alcohol in the way they look, taste, and are marketed, and that behavioural conditioning of young people,” she said.
Calls for Regulation
Federal Government’s Role
The Cancer Council and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation are calling on the federal government to regulate how zero-alcohol products are marketed and sold. They argue that this environment creates a public health risk for young Australians, necessitating immediate regulatory action.
A spokesperson for the federal Department of Health stated that the government is providing more than $870 million over four years to support drug and alcohol treatment services, prevention, research, and communication activities. However, experts argue that more stringent regulations specific to zero-alcohol products are required.
Perspectives from Regional Australia
Teenagers’ Views on Zero-Alcohol Products
While the national survey focused on urban teenagers, insights from regional Australia provide additional context. Zelda Edwards, an 18-year-old from Berri in South Australia’s Riverland, expressed limited interest in zero-alcohol products, citing their high prices. “There are some colourful ones, and ones with little animals like penguins on them that could be appealing,” she said. “But I think they’re priced quite ridiculously … I’m not wasting my money on that when I’d rather buy Monster [energy drink] instead.”
Li Ingle, who works at the rural youth arts organisation Riverland Youth Theatre, noted that teenagers in their community are more interested in energy drinks than zero-alcohol products. “Their vice is energy drinks,” Ingle said. “If it’s got guarana or caffeine, that’s what they’re going to go for.”
Broader Implications for Public Health
Marketing and Availability
The variety and availability of zero-alcohol drinks have significantly increased in recent years, with more than 30% of all consumers buying no-alcohol beer, cider, wines, spirits, and ready-to-drinks in 2022. This trend raises questions about the potential long-term effects on the drinking habits of future generations.
Expert Recommendations
Experts recommend that zero-alcohol products be sold in licensed bottle shops rather than supermarkets to limit young people’s exposure. They also call for stricter advertising regulations to prevent these products from mimicking alcoholic beverages too closely.
Source WRDNews
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Exposure to images of alcoholic beverages and social contexts on alcohol cravings, motivations, attitudes, approval, and behaviour - A cue reactivity experiment
- The randomized experiment tested image cues of beverages on alcoholic outcomes.
- Social drinking compared to beverage-only condition caused stronger alcohol cravings.
- Visual cues depicting social drinking triggered alcohol-related outcomes.
- Exposing people to alcoholic beverage cues can impact alcohol-related cravings and outcomes.
- The study helps to understand the social mechanisms for people’s reactivity to alcohol. (Source: Science Direct)
And Big Alcohol not only know this but trade off it!
Also see: Drinking Harder When Ya Happy – If the Environment Promotes Young Adult Bingeing?
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Key findings
- Alcohol advertisements and the sale and delivery of alcohol are now inextricably linked, contributing to the significantly expanding availability of alcohol in Australia.
- While advertising content and the sale of alcohol have traditionally been separate, alcohol companies now use online advertising as a store front, with advertisements directly linking to online retail sites and apps where alcohol is sold and rapidly delivered to people’s homes.
- Of the 56,000 advertisements published on Meta platforms by companies that sell alcohol over a 19-month period, the majority (83.8%) contained a button encouraging people to engage with the advertisement.
- Over a third of alcohol advertisements (39.2%) contained a button that directs people to an online platform where alcohol is sold. For example, advertisements directed people to online stores with a catalogue-style list of alcoholic products for sale, or directly to a product preview with an ‘add to cart’ prompt.
- These advertisements rapidly convert exposure to an alcohol advertisement online, with the sale and delivery of alcohol directly into the home, bypassing the usual protections and speed bumps in place when alcohol is sold in traditional physical premises. This is particularly concerning when it comes to an addictive and harmful product like alcohol.
- Current regulations for how alcohol is advertised and sold were developed for bricks and mortar stores and venues, with a number of jurisdictions now playing catch up and considering what changes are required to keep pace with an ever-evolving digital world.
- Reforms must ensure harm minimisation protections are not bypassed in the digital environment. Online alcohol advertising in its current form is expanding alcohol availability and expediting sales and delivery contributing to alcohol harms. Therefore, it is important that alcohol laws and regulations are modernised. Policymakers should consider implementing measures that address the ways alcohol companies advertise through digital platforms.
For complete research
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Despite widespread beliefs, there is no data supporting the idea that alcohol consumption protects against heart disease. According to WebMD, recent research challenges the notion that moderate drinking can be beneficial for heart health. Studies have failed to find any conclusive evidence that alcohol consumption has protective effects on the heart.
In fact, drinking alcohol, even in moderation, can increase the risks of various heart-related issues such as high blood pressure, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. Health experts caution against using alcohol as a preventive measure for heart disease and instead recommend focusing on proven strategies like a healthy diet, regular exercise, and avoiding smoking.
Source: WebMD