Advertising Ban Research Articles

Insights into the Belgian gambling advertising ban: the need for a comprehensive public policy approach.

Insights into the Belgian gambling advertising ban: the need for a comprehensive public policy approach.

How did the ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban affect gambling advertising on TV? A live football matching study

Background In 2019, the gambling industry introduced a voluntary partial advertising ban during live sports broadcasts in the United Kingdom known as the ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban. This study explores the change in television advertising around live football games following the introduction of this ban. Methods Inverse Probability Weighted (IPW) matching models identified the change in the frequency of advertising associated with the implementation of restrictions in each section, and across the entire duration, of a live football game. Data on UK television schedules (Concise Media, TVSportsGuide) and gambling advertising (Nielsen Media) covered 3 months (1st September to 1st December) pre (2018), and post-ban (2019). There were 1049 live football games across the period studied: 468 in 2018 and 581 in 2019. Results The implementation of the ban was associated with a reduction in advertising (2.3 advertisements per-programme (p < 0.001, CI [−2.75, −1.84])), driven predominantly by reductions during half-time (2.18 advertisements per-programme (p < 0.001, CI [−2.32, −2.04])). It was associated with an increase in advertisements (0.34 advertisements per-programme (p < 0.001, CI [0.09,0.59])) during the pre-match section. In the post-ban period, an average of 3 (SD: 3.5) advertisements per-programme remained. Conclusions A voluntary partial gambling advertising ban in the UK was associated with reductions in television advertising during live football games during the restricted period. There is evidence of increased advertising in the unrestricted period due to the partial nature of the ban. Future research is needed to explore the impact of the ban on other types of advertising, and across other channels.

Predicted impact of banning nonessential, energy-dense food and beverages in schools in Mexico: A microsimulation study.

Childhood obesity is a growing concern worldwide. School-based interventions have been proposed as effective means to improve nutritional knowledge and prevent obesity. In 2023, Mexico approved a reform to the General Education Law to strengthen the ban of sales and advertising of nonessential energy-dense food and beverages (NEDFBs) in schools and surroundings. We aimed to predict the expected one-year change in total caloric intake and obesity prevalence by introducing the ban of NEDFBs sales in schools, among school-aged children and adolescents (6 to 17 years old) in Mexico. We used age-specific equations to predict baseline fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) and then estimated total energy intake (TEI) per day. The TEI after the intervention was estimated under 4 scenarios: (1) using national data to inform the intervention effect; (2) varying law compliance; (3) using meta-analytic data to inform the intervention effect size on calories; and (4) using national data to inform the intervention effect by sex and socioeconomic status (SES). We used Hall's microsimulation model to estimate the potential impact on body weight and obesity prevalence of children and adolescents 1 year after implementing the intervention in Mexican schools. We found that children could reduce their daily energy intake by 33 kcal/day/person (uncertainty interval, UI, [25, 42] kcal/day/person), reducing on average 0.8 kg/person (UI [0.6, 1.0] kg/person) and 1.5 percentage points (pp) in obesity (UI [1.1, 1.9] pp) 1 year after implementing the law. We showed that compliance will be key to the success of this intervention: considering a 50% compliance the intervention effect could reduce 0.4 kg/person (UI [0.3, 0.5] kg/person). Our sensitivity analysis showed that the ban could reduce body weight by 1.3 kg/person (UI [0.8, 1.8] kg/person) and up to 5.4 kg/person (UI [3.4, 7.5] kg/person) in the best-case scenario. Study limitations include assuming that obesity and the contribution of NEDFBs consumed at school remain constant over time, assuming full compliance, and not considering the potential effect of banning NEDFBs in stores near schools. Even in the most conservative scenario, banning sales of NEDFBs in schools is expected to significantly reduce obesity, but achieving high compliance will be key to its success. - School-based interventions have been recognized as effective means to improve nutritional knowledge and prevent obesity-related diseases.- In December 2023, the Chamber of Representatives of Mexico approved an amendment that strengthens and updates the General Education Law (Article 75) and nutritional guidelines to ban the sales and advertising of nonessential energy-dense food and beverages (NEDFBs) in schools. - We used age-specific equations to predict baseline fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) and total energy intake (TEI) per day.- We used microsimulation modeling to predict body weight and obesity prevalence of children and adolescents 1 year after implementing the intervention in Mexican schools.- Our modeling study suggests that an important impact on obesity prevalence can be expected if the law is implemented and enforced as intended. - If successful, this law could serve as an example beyond Mexico on how to achieve changes in body weight through school food regulation.- An important limitation of our main scenario is that we assumed full compliance of schools with the law, yet lower compliance will reduce its impact. We also did not consider historical trends on obesity or NEDFBs consumed in schools during our 1 year simulation, and we considered only the ban impact inside schools, excluding effects near and outside schools.

Cross-sectional study of the associations between the implementation of the WHO FCTC tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans and current e-cigarette use among youth from countries with different income levels

BackgroundThe WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Article 13 requires countries to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS), and bans are recommended to cover electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)....

Factors Associated with The Compliance of Tobacco Advertisement, Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS) Ban in Bali, Indonesia

Introduction: Indonesia is one of the countries with the highest number of tobacco advertisements, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) across the globe, which play a significant role in increasing smoking prevalence. Since 2019, Klungkung District has adopted a TAPS ban at point of sale (PoS). Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate compliance with the total TAPS ban at PoS in Klungkung and the factors associated. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Klungkung district from August to October 2021. The survey involved 200 samples of PoS and also the managers, which selected using stratified simple random sampling for registered PoS and a walking protocol for unregistered PoS. Data was collected through observation using a checklist and interview using a structured questionnaire by eight well-trained enumerators. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: The study successfully observed 200 PoS and also interviewed 200 PoS managers. The result showed the compliance was 72.5%. Of 9 factors analyzed using regression analysis, it was found that factors associated with the compliance were knowledge and attitude PoS manager toward TAPS ban (OR=11.3; CI:1.233-103.414; p=0.008), perceived of socio-economic impact factor (OR=8.1; CI:3.584-18.400; p&lt;0.01), and tobacco industry interference (OR=2.8; CI:1.441-5.594; p=0,003). Conclusions: Compliance with the TAPS ban at PoS remain sufficient, even though it has not reached the target. Factors mainly associated with the compliance were the attitude of PoS manager, and tobacco industry interference. Hence, socialization and enforcement should be improved and sustained.

Healing Obesity with health-promoting environments – can interventions in Urban Policies bring health benefits?

Abstract Obesity is a complex chronic disease associated with numerous health and social consequences. In 90% of cases, obesity is multifactorial, with a basis in a discrepancy between energy intake and consumption, but also caused by endocrine, psychological factors, environment, improper diet, physical inactivity, and lifestyle. The environment where people live and work must provide opportunity for enough physical activity to prevent obesity. The availability of fitness parks, bike paths, and publicly accessible swimming pools are the many possibilities that a positive and encouraging environment could provide. Urban areas demand publicly accessible places for physical activity. At the same time, it is important to motivate citizens in urban areas to increase their physical activity, because of a predominantly sedentary lifestyle. If the city's urban and health policies promote a healthy lifestyle, for example encouraging cycling and walking by providing infrastructure that will allow for a greater percentage of people to engage daily in physical activity. A healthy-behaviors-promoting environment is important to combat obesity (walkable neighborhood, green space, safe cycling, healthy food availability). A variety of policy strategies are available to create an active and safe environment: 1) increasing green and blue areas in urban settings: to promote recreation and relaxation; 2) promoting cycling and walking as a form of active mobility; 3) reducing or banning of public advertising of unhealthy food, while promoting healthy nutrition and increase of markets with healthy food; 4) encouraging socialization through sport, etc. Providing a healthy and safe environment is necessary to curb the obesity epidemic. Numerous interventions aimed at implementing a plan to change the environment and create a safe and stimulating environment for children and adults are needed.

Tobacco advertising ban discourse in online media coverage

Background and purpose: One industry that allocates quite a lot of budgets for advertising is the tobacco industries, which is still allowed with restrictions. Along with efforts to protect the public from negative exposure to tobacco products, tobacco control activists are discussing a total ban on tobacco advertisement in various media. The campaign to voice a total ban on tobacco advertisement has also reported in online media coverage. The purpose of this study is to determine the frame of online media coverage of the tobacco advertisement ban discourse. Methods: This research analyzed online media news stories in January – April 2022 period about the discourse on the tobacco advertising ban using framing analysis method with a qualitative approach. This study analyzes the frame of online media news stories related to the discourse of a total ban on tobacco advertisement. Results: This research found that there were two tones of news story in online media about the discourse of tobacco advertising ban, namely those that supported and those that rejected. News story with a supportive tone usually took source person from the civil society groups that support tobacco control, while news story with a rejection tone usually placed the tobacco industries as a disadvantaged party which in the end also harmed the workers and tobacco farmers. Conclusion: The discourse of tobacco advertisement ban was framed in different way by online media. There are at least two different tones in media coverage of the discourse, namely those that support the tobacco advertisement ban and those who reject the tobacco advertisement ban, although more news was found to be supportive.

The Crowding-out Effect of Tobacco Expenditure on Health Expenditure: Evidence From a Lower-Middle-Income Country.

Poor people have remarkably lower health expenditures than rich people in Vietnam. According to the 2016 Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey (VHLSS), per capita health expenditure of the top quintile households is around 6 times higher than that of the bottom quintile households. We analyze economic inequalities in health expenditure using the concentration index approach and data from the VHLSS 2010-2016. Next, we use the instrumental-variable regression analysis to examine the crowding-out effect of tobacco expenditure on health expenditure. Finally, we use decomposition analysis to explore whether economic inequality in tobacco expenditure is associated with an economic inequality in health expenditure. We find a crowding-out effect of tobacco expenditure on health expenditure of households. The share of health expenditure of households with tobacco spending is 0.78% lower than that of households without tobacco spending. It is estimated that a one-VND increase in tobacco expenditure results in a 0.18 Vietnamese Dong (VND) (95% CI: -0.30 to -0.06) decrease in health expenditure. There is a negative association between economic inequality in tobacco expenditure and economic inequality in health expenditure. This means that if the poor consume less tobacco, their expenditure on health can be increased, resulting in a decrease in inequality in health expenditure. Findings from this study suggest that reducing tobacco expenditure could improve health care of the poor and reduce inequality in health care in Vietnam. Our study recommends that the government continuously increase the tobacco tax in order to effectively reduce tobacco consumption. Empirical studies show mixed results on the effect of tobacco expenditure on health expenditure. We find a crowding-out effect of tobacco expenditure on health expenditure of poor households in Vietnam. It implies that if the poor reduce their expenditure on tobacco, economic inequality in health expenditure can be reduced. Our findings suggest that reducing tobacco consumption in poor households can increase their health expenditure, therefore, decreasing inequality in health expenditure. Different policies to reduce tobacco consumption such as tobacco taxation, smoke-free areas, and tobacco advertisement bans should be strengthened.

Changes in tobacco imagery and smokers' depiction in Spanish top-grossing films before and after the implementation of a comprehensive tobacco control policy in Spain.

As more restrictions on tobacco marketing communication are implemented, tobacco marketing has persisted through smoking in films. Our aims were to assess changes in tobacco imagery exposure in Spanish top-grossing films before and after the banning of tobacco advertising in Spain, and to determine whether the depiction of smoking characters has changed over the years. A repeated cross-sectional study measured the tobacco content in the 10 Spanish top-grossing films in 2005, 2010 and 2015 (n=30) before and after a complete tobacco advertising ban. We conducted a descriptive and regression analysis of changes in tobacco impressions by year. The 30 films contained 1378 tobacco occurrences (90.2% positive for tobacco) with a median length of eight seconds onscreen. Total tobacco occurrences deemed positive for tobacco interests significantly increased in 2010 and 2015 compared to 2005. However, we observed decreased odds of tobacco brands appearances (OR=0.25; p<0.001) in 2010 and of implied tobacco use (OR=0.44; p=0.002), and tobacco brands appearances (OR=0.36; p<0.001) in 2015 compared to 2005. There was a change of pattern in the type of role smokers played from a leading role to a supporting one (p<0.001). The population reach of positive for tobacco occurrence in Spanish top-grossing films decreased from 15.9 (95% CI: 15.86-15.86) per 1000 spectators in 2005 to 0.8 (95% CI: 0.82-0.82) in 2015. The implementation of a ban on complete tobacco product advertising was followed by a decrease in tobacco incidents across top-grossing Spanish films. Yet, exposure to smoking in films is still unacceptably high.

Progress, Gaps, and Tobacco Industry Opposition to Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship Bans in the World Health Organization African Region.

Although the African Region (AFRO) has the lowest smoking prevalence by World Health Organization region, the prevalence rate is expected to grow from 15.8% in 2010 to 21.9% in 2030 based on 2010 levels, the largest projected increase in the world.1 A key reason for this upsurge is that tobacco companies aggressively market in AFRO to recruit new tobacco users, especially youth.2 To combat this, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)’s Article 13 and its Guidelines ­recommend prohibiting all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS).3 While there is robust literature on tobacco industry marketing in Africa,4 there is scarce research to date assessing TAPS, including only one 2011 regional analysis of TAPS policies in AFRO.5 Given these gaps and the lack of TAPS implementation data available, the goal of this review was to assess the progress of TAPS policies adopted and to discuss efforts to overcome barriers to pass and implement TAPS bans in AFRO.

Changes in children’s and adolescents’ dietary intake after the implementation of Chile’s law of food labeling, advertising and sales in schools: a longitudinal study

BackgroundIn June 2016, a comprehensive food policy was implemented in Chile that included front-of-package warning labels on key nutrients of concern (total sugars, added saturated fats, sodium, and calories), child-directed food advertisement bans, and school regulations. The policy was implemented in 3 phases from 2016 to 2019 and the primary objective was to improve children’s food environments. This study’s objective was to assess changes in child and adolescent intake of key nutrients of concern (total sugars, saturated fats, and sodium) at school after the initial implementation of Chile’s Law of Food Labeling and Advertisement.MethodsLongitudinal study of 349 children from the Food Environment Chilean Cohort (FECHIC) and 294 adolescents from the Growth and Obesity Cohort Study (GOCS). Data were from single 24-hour dietary recalls collected from 2016 to 2019. Fixed-effects models stratified by school, home, and other locations compared nutrient consumption in each year to consumption at the pre-policy 2016 baseline. Nutrient intakes are expressed as percent of total energy.ResultsCompared to 2016 (pre-policy), total sugars consumed by children at school decreased 4.5 [-8.0, -0.9] percentage points (pp) and 11.8 [-15.4, -8.3] pp in 2018 and 2019 respectively. In 2019, children’s saturated fats and sodium intake at school also decreased (1.1 [-1.9, -0.2] pp and 10.3 [-18.1, -2.5] mg/100 kcal respectively). Likewise, in adolescents, total sugars and saturated fats consumed at school decreased in 2018 (5.3 [-8.4, -2.2] pp and 1.5 [-2.7, -0.3] pp respectively). However, consumption of key nutrients of concern at other locations increased after implementation of the policy.ConclusionsAfter initial implementation of Chile’s Labeling Law, intake of most key nutrients of concern significantly declined at school. However, we found evidence of compensatory behavior in out-of-school settings. Further research is needed to evaluate what other actions are needed to impact overall diets in the long term both at schools and out of school.

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 2030-A Program to Accelerate the Implementation of World Health Organization Framework Convention for Tobacco Control in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation.

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) 2030 Program (2017-2021) was launched to accelerate World Health Organization (WHO) FCTC implementation in 15 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We evaluated the Program in six domains: Governance; Smoke-Free Policies; Taxation; Packaging and Health Warnings; Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship (TAPS) bans; and International and Regional Cooperation. Following a mixed-methods design, we surveyed (June-September 2020) FCTC focal persons in 14 of the 15 countries, to understand the Program's financial and technical inputs and progress made in each of the six domains. The data were coded in terms of inputs (financial = 1, technical = 1, or both = 2) and progress (none = 1, some = 2, partial = 3, or strong = 4) and a correlation was computed between the inputs and progress scores for each domain. We conducted semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in five countries. We triangulated between the survey and interview findings. FCTC 2030 offered substantial financial and technical inputs, responsive to country needs, across all six domains. There was a high positive correlation between technical inputs and progress in five of the six domains, ranging from r = 0.61 for taxation (p < .05) to r = 0.91 and for smoke-free policies (p < .001). The interviews indicated that the Program provided timely and relevant evidence and created opportunities for influencing tobacco control debates. The FCTC 2030 Program might have led to variable, but significant progress in advancing FCTC implementation in the 15 countries. As expected, much of the progress was in augmenting existing structures and resources for FCTC implementation. The resulting advances are likely to lead to further progress in FCTC policy implementation. What this study adds: In many LMICs, WHO FCTC policies are not in place; and even when enshrined in law, they are poorly enforced. It is not clear how financial and technical assistance to high tobacco-burden LMICs can most effectively accelerate the implementation of WHO FCTC policies and offer value for money. Bespoke and responsive assistance, both financial and technical, to LMICs aimed at accelerating the implementation of WHO FCTC policies are likely to lead to progress in tobacco control.

Acceptance of meat reduction policies in Switzerland

The aim of this study was to analyze the acceptance of different policy measures affecting meat consumption in Switzerland. We conducted qualitative interviews with leading stakeholders and elaborated 37 policy measures for reducing meat consumption. In a standardized survey, we analyzed the acceptance of these measures and important preconditions for their implementation. Measures with potentially the biggest direct leverage, such as a VAT increase on meat products, were highly rejected. We found high levels of acceptance for measures that do not directly affect meat consumption but have the potential for significant changes of meat consumption in the longer run- such as research investment and sustainable diet education. Furthermore, some measures with considerable short-term effects were widely accepted (e.g., stricter animal welfare standards, ban of meat advertisements). These measures could be a promising starting point for policy makers aiming at a transformation of the food system toward lower levels of meat consumption.

The impact of cigarette prices on smoking onset and cessation: evidence from Vietnam

BackgroundVietnam is a country with very high smoking rates among men. According to a Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) conducted in 2015, the daily smoking prevalence among Vietnamese men was...

Tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship ban adoption: A pilot study of the reporting challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries.

The WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) Secretariat has identified issues with Article 13 (Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship) Party policy progress reporting, whilst some researchers remain skeptical of the completeness and accuracy of the data collected as part of the required reporting questionnaire. Gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges encountered when completing these questionnaires could provide insights to improve WHO FCTC progress reporting. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and June 2021, with nine national tobacco control focal point (NFP) individuals (designates who report on WHO FCTC implementation on the Party's behalf) from low- and middle-income countries. The study analysis used a thematic framework approach involving data familiarization, thematic framework construction, indexing and refining, mapping and interpretation of the results. The analysis generated four themes: 1) use of different resources, 2) presence of compounding complexities, 3) use of supporting mechanisms employed for tackling the challenges, and 4) recommendations for refinements within the questionnaire and for those completing it. The WHO FCTC reporting questionnaire needs improvements that could be piloted and discussed between the Convention Secretariat and the Parties prior to wide scale implementation.

PMI’s IQOS and cigarette ads in Israeli media: a content analysis across regulatory periods and target population subgroups

BackgroundIQOS, manufactured by Philip Morris International (PMI), is the highest selling heated tobacco product globally. IQOS went through several regulatory changes in Israel: from no oversight to minimal tobacco legislation,...

IQOS and cigarette advertising across regulatory periods and population groups in Israel: a longitudinal analysis

BackgroundTobacco regulation recently changed in Israel, including a partial advertisement ban. We assessed the impact of regulatory changes on Philip Morris International’s (PMI) IQOS and cigarette advertisements.MethodsWeekly number of ads...

Estimated Impacts of Alcohol Control Policies on NCD Premature Deaths in Thailand.

Background: This study aimed to assess the impacts of achieving a 10% alcohol reduction target and different alcohol policy interventions on NCD premature deaths during 2010–2025 in Thailand. Methods: The researchers estimated the impacts on three main NCDs: cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. These represent two ideal scenarios, which are the target reduction and five intervention scenarios. These intervention scenarios comprise taxation with 50% price increases, a total ban on advertisements, availability restriction by shortening sales times, early psychological intervention, and combined interventions. Consumption data and mortality trends were obtained from available national data. Relative risks and intervention effects were derived from the literature. Results: Achieving a 10% reduction target would lead to 3903–7997 avoidable NCD deaths. Taxation was the most effective intervention, with the highest number of avoidable NCD deaths, followed by early psychological intervention, availability restriction, and an advertisement ban. A combination of these four interventions would reduce 13,286 NCD deaths among men and 4994 NCD deaths among women, accounting for 46.8% of the NCD mortality target. Conclusion: This study suggests using Thailand as an example for low- and middle-income countries to enhance implementation and enforcement of the recommended effective alcohol policies for achieving the global targets.

Association of mass media exposure and alcohol consumption apropos alcohol-advertisement ban in India: multilevel analysis of panel data

ABSTRACT Introduction Understanding the role of mass media in shaping the perception of individual health behavior in India, alcohol promoting advertisement bans were imposed on all mass media platforms. However, minimal research explored how the mass media had influenced the alcohol behavior of Indian individual’s overtime after imposing a an. The present study examined the effect of mass media exposure to abate alcohol consumption behavior among the Indian population, adjusting for heterogeneity in the risk of alcohol consumption across India’s communities and states. Methods The India Human Development Survey panel data, including 16661 individuals, were used for analysis. Multivariable analyses were performed using three-level random intercept logit models to show the variation in consumption behavior across communities and states. Results Watching TV, listening to the radio and reading newspapers had no significant influence on alcohol consumption during 2005 and 2012, respectively. We have found a high correlation of alcohol consumption among individuals belonging to the same community and state. Conclusion The study found an insignificant association of mass media with alcohol consumption but higher heterogeneity at the community and state levels. Thus, it suggests programs and campaigns targeting a particular group to address India’s high-risk communities and states.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Study on Effects of Smoking, Alcohol and Substance Abuse on Human Health among Students

Introduction: It is well documented that tobacco, alcohol and drug use can be detrimental to health. However, little is known about the impact of smoking, alcohol and substance abuse on human among students. The aim of this study was to study the effect of smoking, alcohol and substance abuse on human among students.&#x0D; Methods: The study was carried out on 51 students comprising of 26 M.B.B.S and 25 non-M.B.B.S students. The students were given a pretested questionnaire and asked to fill up the questions. The responses were collected and analyzed using appropriate statistical tools for parametric and non-parametric data with the help of SPSS for Windows version 22 software.&#x0D; Results: The knowledge of participants on Effects of smoking, alcohol and substance abuse was 73%.&#x0D; The participants had a positive attitude towards the complete ban of advertising of tobacco products and most of them (58%) had a positive attitude towards the complete ban of tobacco usage.&#x0D; 19.6% of participants consumed alcohol and 22.2% had at least once smoked a cigarette and 9.8% practiced substance abuse.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study concludes that there is a definitive and palpable practice of smoking, alcohol and substance abuse among students. To prevent such practices awareness must spread among the students.