Abstract
ABSTRACTBackgroundExposure to tobacco and alcohol content in media is a risk factor for smoking and alcohol use in young people. Our previous research suggested that tobacco and alcohol imagery is common in soap operas. We now report an analysis of tobacco and alcohol content in a sample of soap operas broadcast in the UK.MethodsWe used 1-minute interval coding to quantify tobacco and alcohol content in all episodes (including advertisement breaks) of six soap operas broadcast on UK television during three separate weeks in November and December 2018 and January 2019.ResultsWe coded 2222 intervals from 87 episodes and 360 intervals from 77 advertisement breaks. Tobacco content was rare, occurring in 4% of all intervals across 30% of episodes, the only tobacco appearances in adverts appeared in anti-smoking advertising. Alcohol occurred in 24% of intervals across 95% of episodes and in 13% of advertisement intervals. The programmes delivered ~381.28 million tobacco and 2.1 billion alcohol gross impressions to the UK population, including 18.91 million tobacco and 113 million alcohol gross impressions to children.ConclusionWhilst tobacco was rare, alcohol content was common, resulting in billions of viewer impressions. Soap operas represent a potential driver of alcohol consumption in young people.
Highlights
Smoking and alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing serious health conditions, including cancer, stroke and heart disease.[1,2] In 2017–18, smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively, caused an estimated 78 thousand[3] and 7.5 thousand deaths[4] in the UK
Soap operas represent a potential driver of alcohol consumption in young people
Television programme content that is potentially harmful to children, including tobacco and alcohol content, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) Broadcasting Code[26] (Section 1.10), which prohibits depictions of alcohol and tobacco use in programmes made for children or, in the absence of editorial justification, in programmes made for wider audiences, broadcast before the 9 p.m. watershed and likely to be widely seen, heard or accessed by those aged under 18.27 Television advertising content is regulated by the Advertising Standards
Summary
Smoking and alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing serious health conditions, including cancer, stroke and heart disease.[1,2] In 2017–18, smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively, caused an estimated 78 thousand[3] and 7.5 thousand deaths[4] in the UK. Our previous research suggested that tobacco and alcohol imagery is common in soap operas.
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