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As an Australian social media summit convenes, Catherine Earl calls for increased transparency in how algorithms target young people with advertising. A staggering 72 million data points are collected on Australian children by the time they turn 13, allowing digital advertisers to exploit their likes, dislikes, and vulnerabilities. This data is often used to push adverts for harmful products, such as alcohol, at a time when young people may be particularly susceptible.
The summit, a collaboration between the New South Wales and South Australian governments, seeks to address both the benefits and the perils of social media for children, focusing on wellbeing, online safety, and countering hate and extremism. It also examines how governments can bolster digital wellbeing initiatives.
A critical issue is the role of commercial interests in creating unsafe online spaces by targeting children with potentially harmful marketing. Companies like Meta have been found to gather real-time psychological insights on children, tagging them with interests in products like alcohol. Research shows teenagers can receive up to 14 alcohol ads in just two hours online, increasing the risk of early and excessive drinking.
Current discussions include proposals to ban children from social media, but such measures do not enhance the safety of these platforms for when access is granted. Instead, a comprehensive policy response is needed, addressing the practices of social media companies and the commercial entities that use their platforms.
The summit urges policymakers to seize opportunities presented by ongoing reviews of The Privacy Act and the Online Safety Act. Amendments are needed to prevent the commercial use of children’s data and to ban alcohol ads alongside children’s content. There is a pressing need for clear insights into how algorithms dictate the adverts shown to young people, holding companies accountable for their practices.
In an era of fast-evolving digital technology, laws must keep pace to protect young people. Ensuring safe online environments is crucial, turning digital spaces into a force for good rather than a source of harm. Protecting children online isn’t just about limiting their screen time—it’s about shielding them from harmful content and exploitative advertising. As social media grows, so does the need for stronger rules that prioritise children’s safety over profits. By holding companies accountable, we can create a digital world where young people are truly safe.
(Source: WRD News)
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Acute alcohol consumption has long been associated with various cardiac arrhythmias, a phenomenon often referred to as “holiday heart syndrome.” This term describes the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, following episodes of excessive alcohol intake. The specific effects of acute alcohol consumption on the heart, however, remain under- explored. A prospective cohort study, as detailed in Practice Update, sheds light on the temporal progression of cardiac arrhythmias in young adults subsequent to binge drinking episodes.
Study Design and Methodology
This comprehensive study involved 202 volunteers who planned to engage in acute alcohol consumption, with anticipated peak breath alcohol concentrations (BAC) of ≥1.2 g/kg. Participants underwent a 48-hour electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring across several phases: baseline (hour 0), ‘drinking period’ (hours 1-5), ‘recovery period’ (hours 6-19), and two control periods following the ‘drinking’ and ‘recovery periods’. BAC measurements were taken to monitor acute alcohol intake during the ‘drinking period’. The ECG recordings were analysed for mean heart rate, atrial tachycardia, premature atrial complexes (PACs), premature ventricular complexes (PVCs), and heart rate variability (HRV).
Key Findings on Heart Rate and Arrhythmias
The study revealed a significant increase in heart rate associated with alcohol intake. This was accompanied by an excess of atrial tachycardia events. HRV analyses indicated a modulation of autonomic function, characterised by sympathetic activation during alcohol consumption and the subsequent ‘recovery period’, with a shift towards parasympathetic predominance thereafter. Notably, PACs were more prevalent during the ‘control periods’, while PVCs showed increased frequency during the ‘drinking period’.
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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?