EUCAM Newsletter 18 November 2019 - Updates on alcohol marketing

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EUCAM aims to disseminate impact research on alcohol marketing and encourages the monitoring of alcohol marketing.

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European Centre for Monitoring Alcohol Marketing (EUCAM)
P.O. box 9769 | 3506 GT | Utrecht | The Netherlands

T: +31 (0)30 6565 041 | www.EUCAM.info; @EUCAM1
e-mail: eucam@eucam.info

Visit www.EUCAM.INFO for all recent information about alcohol marketing

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Alcohol ads with pro-drinking comments on Facebook boost desire to drink

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

Public Release: 14 November 2018

Social media users who view alcohol ads are also more likely to “Like” or “Share” an ad when it has pro-drinking comments, the new study shows.

“There is more information on social media than just a post or a message. We are exposed to how other users respond to a post, and it is those responses that can influence your desire to drink,” says Dr. Jonathan Noel, the study’s lead author. “Our findings suggest that comments left by other social media users may either reinforce or negate the message from a post.”

Unraveling "Responsible drinking"

8 November 2018; EUCAM blog by Phil Cain

UK health minister Matt Hancock said in parliament this week that we ought to follow his example and “drink responsibly”, as part of a contentious wider plan to use the idea of personal responsibility to ward off health problems.

Responsible drinking is the long-time boilerplate of alcohol producers used to deflect responsibility for harm that befalls their customers. But, like it or not, and many health professionals do not, the idea is prevalent and many people will instinctively connect with it.

After all, being responsible for things helps us live together peaceably for longer, deterring us from causing others needless harm and fostering mutual trust. The advantages of “being responsible” are something we learn throughout our lives, the rudiments coming to us in childhood.

Study finds alcohol advertising rules may fail to protect Australian kids

Curtin University, Australia, 9 November 2018

Regulations introduced to restrict the placement of alcohol advertising are unlikely to reduce young people’s exposure to alcohol marketing in Australia, new research led by Curtin University has found.

The research, published in the Drug and Alcohol Review journal, critically reviewed the placement rules added to the industry-run Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) Scheme in November 2017 and evaluated their ability to effectively regulate the placement of alcohol marketing in Australia.

Co-author Ms Julia Stafford, from the Alcohol Programs Team at the Public Health Advocacy Institute of WA (PHAIWA) based at Curtin University, said the placement rules do not meet the criteria for effective self-regulation and do not appear to have introduced any additional safeguards for young people.

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Alcohol industry health campaigns strengthen commercial interests

MBN Market Business News

By Veronica Cruz, 6 November 2018 3:25 pm

The alcohol industry’s health campaigns strengthen their own commercial interests, a new study has found. Their social responsibility schemes fail to reduce harmful alcohol use, say researchers from the University of Connecticut.

The researchers, from the US, UK, Argentina, and Brazil, wrote about their study in the BMJ (citation below). BMJ stands for the British Medical Journal.

The study examined actions by the alcohol industry worldwide. It found that ninety-seven percent of all industry actions lacked scientific support.

They also found that alcohol producers benefited from brand exposure and seemingly being able to manage risk and achieve strategic goals.

According to the alcohol industry, it can ‘do good’ with corporate campaigns. The study findings, on the other hand, suggest that the public health benefits are likely to be negligible. Eleven percent of industry actions, in fact, had the potential for doing harm.

Lead author Thomas Babor said:
“The corporate social responsibility activities of alcohol producers conceal a clear conflict of interest in improving public health, as a truly effective approach to tackling alcohol harm will only hurt their bottom line.”

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Ireland: alcohol advertising to be banned near schools from November 2019

State’s first health-related alcohol legislation will restrict cinema and outdoor advertising

The Irish Times , 5 November 2018

Marie O’Halloran

The bill will see detailed labelling on alcohol products with ingredients, energy density (calories) and health warnings about the link between alcohol and cancer and other diseases.

Alcohol advertising will be banned within 200 metres of a school, crèche or a local authority playground from November 2019.

Drink companies and clothing manufacturers have a year to prepare for the first elements of alcohol legislation to be implemented, which will restrict cinema and outdoor advertising, and ban marketing on children’s clothing.

It will also be banned on public service vehicles including buses, trains, at bus stops and train stations .

From November 12th next year, advertising of alcohol products will also be banned in cinemas except where films are for those over 18 or where cinemas have licensed premises.

A ban also comes into place on that date prohibiting the advertising of alcohol on children’s clothing.

Minister for Health Simon Harris at the weekend signed the order to commence 23 sections of the Public Health Alcohol Act, which was finally passed by the Oireachtas in September after almost three years going through the Seanad and Dáil.

The Public Health Alcohol Bill has passed through the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) this evening. It will lead to stricter rules on how alcohol is sold in Ireland. This is the first piece of legislation which addresses alcohol as a public health matter.

EUCAM wishes all organizers and visitors of the Alcohol Policy Network conference (Edinburgh 19 November 2018) and of the 8th European Alcohol Policy Conference (20 and 21 November 2018) very fascinating days.