Growing Consensus on Alcohol Advertising/Marketing

After years of ambiguous results (largely due to methodological issues), in the last several months there have been a flurry of research studies and research reviews that have demonstrated that alcohol advertising/marketing does indeed influence the drinking behaviors of adolescents.  These studies have ranged from specific focus on alcohol-branded merchandise (McClure, et. al., 2009 – free full text here), to studies of attitudes/expectancies (Henriksen, et al. 2008 – free full text here), to comprehensive reviews of alcohol advertising/marketing and media drinking portrayal research studies (Anderson, et al. 2009; Smith & Foxcroft, 2009 – free full text here).

Furthermore, this past March, the Science Group of the European Alcohol & Health Forum within the European Union unanimously (and without minority opinion) found that “commercial communications increase the likelihood that adolescents will start to use alcohol and to drink more if they are already using alcohol.” (Thanks to Sven-Olov Carlsson of IOGT-NTO for posting this at Connected Communities.)

With the increasingly multi-national character of the alcohol industry (many of America’s best-selling alcohol brands are owned by companies based in Brussels, London, and Paris), it appears to be time for international action on alcohol advertising and marketing.

References:

Anderson, P., de Bruijn, A., Angus, K., Gordon, R., & Hastings, G. (2009).  Impact of alcohol advertising and media exposure on adolescent alcohol use: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. Alcohol & Alcoholism, 44(3), 229-243.

Henriksen, L., Feighery, E.C., Schleicher, N.C., & Fortmann, S.P. (2008).  Receptivity to alcohol marketing predicts initiation of alcohol use.  Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(1), 28-35.

McClure, A.C., Stoolmiller, M., Tanski, S.E., Worth, K.A., & Sargent, J.D. (2009).  Alcohol-branded merchandise and its association with drinking attitudes and outcomes in US adolescents. Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, 163(3), 211-217.

Science Group of the European Alcohol and Health Forum (2009).  Does marketing communication impact on the volume and patterns of consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially by young people? A review of longitudinal studies [report].  Retrieved on August 26, 2009, from http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/alcohol/Forum/docs/science_o01_en.pdf.

Smith, L.A. & Foxcroft, D.R. (2009). The effect of alcohol advertising, marketing and portrayal on drinking behaviour in young people: systematic review of prospective cohort studies.  BMC Public Health, 9(51), doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-51.