Alcohol Advertising Research Articles

Public and professional stakeholders' perceptions of alcohol advertising and availability policies: A qualitative study.

Reducing alcohol availability and restricting alcohol advertising are effective ways to reduce harm from alcohol. Implementation of public health policies involves collaboration between different stakeholders, and is influenced by public opinion. This paper explores public and professional stakeholders' perceptions of alcohol advertising and availability policies. It is the first to capture consensus and divergence in narratives of these stakeholders. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 stakeholders from third sector organisations, government, public health and alcohol licensing in Scotland. We conducted 11 online focus groups with 45 participants, living in neighbourhoods in Scotland characterised by varying levels of urbanity, deprivation and retail density change. We gave participants a list of policies and discussed their views on acceptability, feasibility and likely success. Despite general consensus that regulation of alcohol advertising is an important priority, public stakeholders were concerned about the feasibility of advertising interventions and potential unintended consequences. While professional stakeholders were in favour of regulating alcohol availability, public stakeholders had misgivings about feasibility and effectiveness. When prompted to discuss specific interventions, similar views about protecting children and achieving cultural change emerged. This study highlights the importance of policy makers and other stakeholders to consider public stakeholders' opinions on alcohol policy and understanding that their views may be influenced by competing framings of alcohol problems. Attempts to increase support for alcohol control policies need to consider people's concerns about the effectiveness and potential unintended consequences of these policies, and the wider social context of alcohol consumption.

Використання мови переконування в топових відео на ютубі в рекламі українських вин

In the article, Anelia Polishchak presents the results of a study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of advertising Ukrainian wines on the YouTube platform by analyzing the most popular videos featuring this advertising. The study focuses on the use of linguistic tools and persuasive language techniques formulated by Brett Lamb. This approach allows for the identification of modern effective strategies in the advertising of Ukrainian wines. The study’s results show that the persuasive language techniques developed by Lamb are widely used in Ukrainian wine advertising. Furthermore, the research revealed the use of other techniques, such as positive forms in syntactic constructions and vocabulary, verbal hints, and more. These findings provide valuable insights into the development of linguistic strategies in advertising, demonstrating their adaptation to modern market demands.

A Comparative Study of Chinese and Korean Beer Advertisements Based on Semiotics -A Comparison of Snow Beer and Cass Beer Advertisements-

A Comparative Study of Chinese and Korean Beer Advertisements Based on Semiotics -A Comparison of Snow Beer and Cass Beer Advertisements-

Crowdsourcing alcohol billboards in Kampala, Uganda: Examining alcohol advertisement violations

Despite high levels of alcohol use in Uganda, there is a scarcity of research on alcohol marketing, its placement and content. In this field study we evaluated the content of alcohol billboards across Kampala, Uganda using the Alcohol Marketing Assessment Rating Tool (AMART). Of the 27 unique alcohol advertisements evaluated, the nine-member review panel found that 23 contained at least one violation yielding a violation rate of 85%. Given the high number of violations, our recommendation is that future alcohol billboard advertisements within Kampala be reviewed and approved by a governing body for compliance with alcohol advertisement standards.

Towards a comprehensive agency-based resilience approach: myopia and hypermetropia in the Turkish wine industry

Abstract The Turkish wine industry presents an interesting case to explore firm behaviour, institutions and regional economic resilience. With political Islam gaining popularity over the past two decades, the local industry has faced many challenges at the policy level. These include an enormous tax burden, bans on alcohol advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and the prohibition on online sales of alcoholic products. Under these conditions, many producers do not have the necessary skills to manoeuvre institutional challenges therefore economic survival mainly depends on local agents’ own capabilities. Understanding the resilience of an industry as such calls for an institutionally nuanced and agent-centric micro-level focus. In this context, the paper seeks to establish a theoretical framework that facilitates an explanation of how agents’ inherent systematic anomalies, biases and spatio-temporal cognitive limitations restrict their resilience and the twin notions of myopia and hypermetropia serve as the basis for our argument. The producer firms of the Thrace wine-making cluster in the northwest corner of Türkiye constitute our empirical focus. Our findings illustrate that the impact of adverse sectoral policies on local firms are heterogeneous and that there exists at least three types of winemaking firms in Türkiye depending on their agendas and cognitive (dis)abilities.

No- and low-alcohol beer and the sponsorship of sport in Australia: An audit of sponsorship partnerships and analysis of marketing tactics.

Alcohol sponsorship of sport is associated with increased alcohol consumption. Little research to date has examined the sponsorship of sport by no- and low-alcohol (NoLo) beverage brands, despite concern that the marketing of these products might be harmful to young people. This study had dual aims: to identify sporting partnerships between NoLo beers and Australian sport, and examine marketing tactics used in social media advertising to promote these partnerships. Our sample included NoLo beers sold online from three large Australian alcohol retailers. First, we performed a qualitative content analysis of partnerships between NoLo beers and sport using publicly available online information. We then analysed the 118 social media posts of NoLo brands linked to these partnerships using a coding framework adapted from the alcohol literature. Of 34 brands, 13 had sporting sponsorship partnerships across a range of spectator and participatory sports. Key marketing tactics identified on social media were activations, time-and event-specific drinking, influencer marketing, competitions, and corporate social responsibility. In particular, NoLo brands aim to disrupt the sports drink market by advertising their products as healthy recovery drinks, or 'sports beers', through activation events. Brands are also using influencer marketing and competitions, two tactics shown to be particularly persuasive for young people. NoLo beer brands strategically align with Australian sports to promote NoLo consumption. As they are classified as soft drinks in Australia, NoLo beverages are not regulated like alcohol. Future discussions around sports sponsorship and advertising regulation must consider NoLo products.

Impact of text-only versus large text-and-picture alcohol warning formats: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study in French young male drinkers.

Although the World Health Organization recommends visible and clear warning labels about the risks of alcohol consumption on containers and advertising, many of the currently used labels are too small to be visible. This study investigated the brain activity (using fMRI) and alcohol consumption intentions of French young men exposed to two warning formats displayed on alcoholic beverage advertisements: a small Text-only Alcohol Warning (TAW) currently used in many countries, and a larger text-and-picture alcohol warning (PAW). Seventy-four eligible 18-25-year-old male drinkers completed a face-to-face individual visit with a physician expert in addiction medicine. This was followed by the fMRI session during which they viewed 288 stimuli [96 alcohol advertisements with TAWs, the same 96 advertisements with PAWs, and 96 water advertisements (controls)] for 3 s each. If the advertisement made participants want ("yes")/do not want ("no") to consume the product, they pressed the corresponding button (self-report responses). The number of "yes" responses was compared between advertisement types with a paired sample t-test. Whole-brain and region-of-interest (ROI) analyses of the fMRI data were performed. Whole-brain BOLD fMRI highlighted contrasting effects of PAWs and TAWs. Compared with TAWs, PAWs elicited more activation in the precuneus, angular gyrus, occipital, frontal and temporal areas, and less activation in the nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental areas, and putamen areas (regions of the reward circuit). The ROI analysis confirmed less activation in the reward circuit (left and right ventral tegmental areas, left and right nucleus accumbens) when viewing PAWs than TAWs. Analysis of the self-report responses indicated that the desire to consume the advertised alcohol product was lower when PAWs were viewed (compared with TAWs) (T = 8.18, p < 10-11). This is the first fMRI study to assess the effect of different alcohol warning formats. Our findings show that compared with TAWs, stronger PAWs in advertisements elicited less activity in key regions of the reward system. This suggests that the effects may influence the desire to consume alcohol products (self-report response analysis). These results could help policymakers who are interested in developing more effective labeling measures that target young people.

Exposure to preference-matched alcohol advertisements from national sports broadcasts increases short-term alcohol consumption inclinations in risky drinkers.

In Australia, sports broadcasting is afforded special alcohol advertising rights during daytime hours, which raises public health concerns, including short-term increases in alcohol consumption among the broad viewership of national sporting codes. We conducted a content analysis across a sample of nationally televised finals matches (N = 16) from the Australian Football League (AFL) and the National Rugby League (NRL) to determine the prevalence of alcohol advertising video clips during these broadcasts. We also conducted an online experiment exposing participants (N = 345) to a randomly selected alcohol advertisement and measured the immediate effects on self-reported alcohol craving and drinking intentions. The prevalence of alcohol advertising video clips during AFL broadcasts was 3.9% and 1.8% for NRL. While, overall, alcohol advertisement video clip exposure did not impact craving or drinking intentions, a modest increase in craving was found for a subsample of risky drinking participants (N = 107) who also reported a preference for the specific alcoholic beverage being advertised. Video alcohol advertisements occurred less than 1 in 20 advertisements on average and exposure to alcohol advertising elicited a low, yet measurable, short-term increase in alcohol inclinations, among vulnerable adult drinkers when a desirable alcoholic beverage advertisement is viewed. SO WHAT?: Given that alcohol advertisements are most likely to increase consumption among risky drinkers, health messaging during sports broadcasts needs to specifically target these individuals.

Spread the Word: No Amount of Alcohol is Safe!

Excessive use of alcohol is prevalent in the United States, and there are a variety of adverse health effects. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study determined that no amount of alcohol is safe. The American Cancer Society's 2020 guideline for diet and physical activity for cancer prevention is their first to advise that "it is best to not drink alcohol." There is a need for increased awareness by both laypeople and health care professionals of the health and social hazards associated with alcohol. The Healthcare Professional's Core Resource on Alcohol provides such training. The World Health Organization recommends population-based interventions such as increased alcohol taxes, restrictions or bans on alcohol advertising, and limits on places that sell alcohol. Gastroenterology nurses have a special opportunity to intervene with patients because a variety of gastroenterology conditions are alcohol-related. Our advocacy responsibility is to assist with the initiation of workplace, local, state, and national policies that promote the recommendations that no amount of alcohol is safe.

Where are the alcohol advertising hotspots near schools?

Physically locating liquor stores near schools can strongly influence the chances of youth accessing and consuming alcohol, and may also increase children's exposure to alcohol advertising. Investigating the association between the presence of a liquor store near a school and the prevalence of outdoor alcohol advertising is crucial from a policy perspective, as it can inform future regulations on the placement of liquor stores and outdoor advertising near educational institutions. All outdoor alcohol advertising within a 500 m radius (audit zone) of 64 randomly selected schools from local government areas across metropolitan Perth was identified by direct observation; recording the size, setting, location and content of each advertisement. Results were compared based on whether the school audit zone contained a liquor store or not. Over half (n = 36, 56%) of all school audit zones had at least one alcohol advertisement, with an average number of 5.9 alcohol advertisements per zone (SD = 10.2). The majority (97.9%) of advertisements were in the 38 audit zones containing a liquor store (average = 9.7, SD = 11.9 per zone), compared to zones without a liquor store (average = .3, SD = .7 per zone). Perth school zones containing a liquor store in their 500 m radius had, on average, 30 times more outdoor alcohol advertising, compared with school zones without a nearby liquor store. SO WHAT?: The siting of liquor stores and the display of alcohol advertisements around educational settings require combined policy, planning and public health approaches to mitigate children's exposure to alcohol marketing, especially during school transit.

Through the looking glass: An alcohol advertisement every 3 minutes.

There is growing concern over the lack of regulation of alcohol advertisements on social media platforms frequented by youths. This study aims to build upon existing literature by assessing the frequency with which young Australians (17-25) are shown advertisements promoting alcohol use and the themes utilised in these advertisements. A total of 125 Australian youths (mean age 18.74 years; 74.40% female) were recruited in exchange for course credit to participate in an online study. Participants scrolled through Facebook or Instagram for a period of 30 min and screenshotted any alcohol advertisements encountered. Participants then identified the advertisement qualities (or 'themes') present in the advertisements, based on pre-identified categories. Demographic, social media usage and historical personal, peer or familial substance use behaviour data was also collected. Seventy-one university students were exposed to 796 alcohol advertisements across both platforms, and they encountered an advertisement every 2 min and 43 s on average. Most advertisements included call to action features on both Facebook (78.80%) and Instagram (71.17%). Advertisements relating to ease of access (promoting subscription/home delivery; 41.72% and 42.56%) and sales incentives (special offers, promotions, samples or bonuses with purchase; 43.70% and 46.84%) were most common across both platforms. Alcohol advertisements are highly prevalent online, particularly among Australian youth social media users. Future research should endeavour to identify whether temporal use of alcohol is a predictor of subsequent exposure to alcohol advertising on social media, and whether this exposure is likely to increase successive alcohol use behaviours.

The impacts of alcohol marketing and advertising, and the alcohol industry's views on marketing regulations: Systematic reviews of systematic reviews.

Advertising and marketing affect alcohol use; however, no single systematic review has covered all aspects of how they affect alcohol use, and how the alcohol industry views alcohol marketing restrictions. Two systematic reviews of reviews were performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items on 2 February 2023. Results were analysed using a narrative synthesis approach. Twenty-three reviews were included in the systematic reviews. The first systematic review examined youth and adolescents (11 reviews), digital or internet marketing (3 reviews), alcohol marketing's impact on cognition (3 reviews), and alcohol marketing and policy options (2 reviews). The second systematic review focused on alcohol industry (i.e., importers, producers, distributors, retailers and advertising firms) response to advertising restrictions (four reviews). The reviews indicated that there is evidence that alcohol marketing (including digital marketing) is associated with increased intentions to drink, levels of consumption and harmful drinking among youth and young adults. Studies on cognition indicate that advertisements focusing on appealing contexts and outcomes may be more readily accepted by adolescents, and may be less easily extinguished in this population. The review of the alcohol industry found a strong desire to self-regulate alcohol advertising. We found alcohol advertising and marketing is associated with increased drinking intentions, consumption and harmful drinking. Thus, policies which restrict advertising may be an effective way to reduce alcohol use. More research is needed to assess all aspects of the observed associations, especially as to how marketing policies impact women and people with alcohol dependence.

The absolute truth: Alcohol companies sponsored disproportionately more queer Pride festivals than July Fourth festivals in 2019

Introduction Despite known disparities in alcohol use among queer communities in the United States, little is known about the extent to which alcohol companies sponsor queer Pride festivals each June. This study aimed to (1) examine the nature and extent of alcohol sponsorship of Pride in 2019 and (2) compare the prevalence of alcohol sponsorship for Pride versus Fourth of July festivals. Methods We identified Pride festivals through InterPride’s 2019 Pride Radar Report and Fourth of July festivals by searching Google. Researchers recorded each festival’s name and location, then sorted their sponsors into ten categories. We adjusted for overall population count and same-sex couple count estimates; and only included cities in our sample that hosted both Pride and Fourth of July festivals in 2019. Results Researchers identified 207 Pride and 154 Fourth of July festivals in 45 states and 129 cities, which included 4,643 Pride and 972 Fourth of July festival sponsors. Pride festivals had a significantly higher percentage of alcohol sponsors (9.1% (95% CI: 9.0%, 9.1%)) compared to Fourth of July festivals (2.0% (95% CI: 1.9%, 2.2%)) (p < 0.001). We also found a significant interaction between the prevalence of alcohol sponsors and US region. Conclusions Our findings indicate a greater need to understand the extent to which alcohol marketing at Pride celebrations contributes to alcohol use.

Restricting the content of alcohol advertising and including text health warnings: A between-group online experiment with a non-probability adult sample in the United Kingdom.

Statutory options for restricting alcohol advertising include limiting it to product-orientated information and requiring health warnings. We assess the impact of removing positive contextual factors from alcohol advertising and including a health warning among adults in the United Kingdom (UK). We conducted a 2 × 2 online between-group experiment with adults (18+) (n = 2421) recruited from a non-probability research panel in the United Kingdom. Participants were randomized to see an alcohol (vodka) advertisement (advert) which varied by context (no context vs. imagery depicting positive social interactions around alcohol) and message (multiple text health warning vs. "drink responsibly"). The multiple text health warning, based on recent legislation in Ireland, comprised three separate warnings (liver disease, cancers, drinking during pregnancy) and a web address for alcohol-related information and support. The "drink responsibly" control reflected the self-regulatory messages commonly used by alcohol companies. Participants rated the advert on 7-point scales for advert attractiveness, product appeal, trial intentions, perceived harm, and whether it made drinking alcohol seem enjoyable. Removing the positive social context reduced positive advert and product reactions (difference in estimated marginal means [EMM]: -1.57 [makes drinking alcohol seem enjoyable] to -0.23 [intention to try]). Including the multiple text health warning also reduced positive advert and product reactions (difference in EMM: -0.55 [advert attractiveness] to -0.25 [intention to try]) and increased perceived product harm (difference in EMM: +0.25). There were no interactions between advert context and message for any outcome. Restricting content and including a multiple text health warning (compared to a "drink responsibly" message) may attenuate the persuasive impact of alcohol advertising and increase perceived product harm. Further research is needed to examine different degrees of content restrictions, alternative warning content and design, generalizability to different alcohol products and advert formats, and whether the impact of content controls varies among population subgroups.

Youth behavioural responses to regulated alcohol advertising content: Results from a mixed-methods study in France

ObjectivesThe World Health Organization advocates measures regulating alcohol advertising content, as illustrated by the French Évin law. However, how people react to such regulation has been under-investigated. The research reported here has two objectives: to analyze how different advertising contents (regulated or not) affect the persuasion process from attention to behavioural responses, and whether young people are protected; to examine how alcohol warnings perform depending on their salience and the advertising content displayed (regulated or not). Materials and methodsThis study surveyed French people aged 15–30 using a mixed-methods design. In-depth interviews were conducted on 26 respondents to understand how non-regulated (NRA) and regulated (RA) alcohol advertising influence the persuasion process. An experiment on 696 people assessed the influence of RA vs. NRA on intentions to buy and drink alcohol, and whether less vs. more salient warnings displayed in the RA or NRA setting have differential effects on behavioural responses. ResultsNRA (vs. RA) had a greater influence on young people's desire to buy and drink alcohol, which we explain by different psychological processes. NRA appeared to trigger a heuristic process that involves affective reactions (e.g. image, symbolism) and product-oriented responses (e.g. quality), whereas RA appeared to trigger a more systematic process that had less influence. The protective effect of content regulations was strong for the youngest participants but fades as age increases, reaching its limits at age 22 years. Salience of the warnings had no influence on desire to buy and drink alcohol, whatever the ad content. ConclusionAdvertising content regulations need to be implemented to protect young people, particularly the youngest. Our results on alcohol health warnings highlighted that text-only labels similar to those adopted in many countries are ineffective at decreasing young people's intentions to buy and drink alcohol.

A rapid literature review of the effect of alcohol marketing on people with, or at increased risk of, an alcohol problem.

To explore the effect or potential effect of alcohol marketing in people with an alcohol use disorder, in recovery from an alcohol use disorder, and hazardous and harmful drinkers. Relevant literature was identified by searching Medline (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), and PsycINFO (OVID) and relevant websites. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were eligible for inclusion. A narrative approach was used to synthesize the findings. The review included 10 studies. Two quantitative and three qualitative studies focused on participants recovering from an alcohol use disorder and five quantitative studies on those with hazardous or harmful consumption levels of alcohol. The effect of alcohol advertising on alcohol use was only assessed in one study, a small experimental study of young adult heavy drinkers, which found no significant association. Studies looking at other outcomes found that people with or at risk of alcohol problems were likely to notice alcohol advertisements and find them appealing, and that advertisements may have an effect on positive alcohol-related emotions and cognitions. Among people in recovery from an alcohol use disorder, findings suggested that there could be an effect on craving, and that alcohol marketing may be perceived to trigger a desire to drink. Alcohol marketing is likely to have an effect on alcohol consumption in people with, or at increased risk of, an alcohol problem. Studies have also found that alcohol marketing is perceived to act as a trigger by people in recovery from alcohol problems. A rapid review explored the effect of alcohol marketing in people with an alcohol use disorder, in recovery from an alcohol use disorder, and hazardous and harmful drinkers. The findings of the 10 included studies suggest that an effect of alcohol marketing in these populations is likely.

Prevalence and Correlates of Substance Use Among Youth Living with HIV in Fishing Communities in Uganda.

Alcohol and drug use (ADU) poses a significant barrier to optimal HIV treatment outcomes for adolescents and youths living with HIV (AYLHIV). We aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of ADU among ALHIV in Ugandan fishing communities, areas characterized by high HIV and poverty rates. AYLHIV aged 18-24, who knew they were HIV-positive, were selected from six HIV clinics. Substance use was determined through self-report in the last 12 months and urine tests for illicit substances. Utilizing a socioecological framework, the study structured variables into a hierarchical logistic regression analysis to understand the multi-layered factors influencing ADU. Self-reported past 12 months substance use was 42%, and 18.5% of participants had a positive urine test for one or more substances, with alcohol, benzodiazepines, and marijuana being the most commonly used. With the addition of individual-level socio-demographics, indicators of mental health functioning, interpersonal relationships, and community factors, the logistic regression analysis revealed greater exposure to adverse childhood experiences increased the odds of substance use (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.24; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.03-1.55). Additionally, exposure to alcohol advertisements at community events significantly raised the odds of substance use (OR = 3.55; 95% CI: 1.43-8.83). The results underscore the high prevalence among AYLHIV and emphasize the need for comprehensive interventions targeting individual (e.g., life skills education and mental health supports), interpersonal (e.g., peer support and family-based interventions), community (e.g., community engagement programs, restricted alcohol advertisements and illicit drug access), and policies (e.g., integrated care models and a national drug use strategy), to address ADU.

Children are exposed to much more alcohol advertising when a liquor store is sited near a school

The physical location of liquor stores near schools can strongly influence the chances of youth accessing and consuming alcohol(1). As children transit to and from school, it is feasible that the presence of liquor stores near schools could also increase their exposure to alcohol advertising. Cumulative exposure to advertising influences alcohol attitudes, intentions and alcohol use(2), so reducing children’s exposure to alcohol advertising is important to delay the initiation of drinking and reduce future harms. As this has not yet been investigated in Australia, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of a liquor store near a school was associated with an increased prevalence of outdoor alcohol advertising in Perth, Western Australia. We identified all outdoor alcohol advertising within a 500m radius (audit zone) of 64 randomly selected primary and secondary schools from low and high socio-economic areas across metropolitan Perth. We recorded the size, type, setting, and location of each advertisement during field data collection. Each zone was categorised by the presence or absence of at least one liquor store within the school audit zone, and results compared across these stratifications. Over half (56%) of the 64 school audit zones had at least one alcohol advertisement. On average, there were 5.9 alcohol advertisements per zone. School audit zones that contained a liquor store (59%) had over thirty times the average number of alcohol advertisements compared with audit zones that did not contain a liquor store (9.7 vs 0.3). The majority of all the alcohol advertisements identified (63%) were located outside a liquor outlet as opposed to other food businesses (2%), along the roadside (31%), on a bus shelter (3%) or on/outside another business (0.5%). Our findings that Perth schools with a liquor store nearby had more outdoor alcohol advertising within a 500m radius, compared with schools without a nearby liquor store, were independent of school type (primary or secondary) or the socio-economic status of the area. This poses significant concerns about the exposure of underage populations to outdoor alcohol advertising, and the resultant influence on alcohol use. These results underscore the necessity for policy interventions to mitigate children’s exposure to alcohol marketing, especially during the daily school commute, by regulating the location of liquor stores and alcohol promotion near schools. It will be important to incorporate the voices of children when developing future policies to assert their right to be consulted, heard and appropriately influence their environments.

How frequently is alcohol advertised on television in Canada?: A cross-sectional study.

Alcohol marketing is a commercial driver of alcohol use, including among youth. This study sought to quantify and characterize alcohol advertising on broadcast television in Canada. Open-source television program logs for January to December 2018 submitted to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission by 147 stations with alcohol advertisements were analyzed. Overall, 501628 alcohol advertisements were broadcast. Four companies accounted for 83% of advertisements, namely, Anheuser-Busch in Bev (33.7%), Molson Coors (22.7%), Diageo (16.1%), and Arterra Wines Canada (10.8%). On conventional stations, advertising was highest on French-language stations [Median (Mdn) = 3224; interquartile range (IQR) = 2262] followed by those with programming in foreign/mixed languages (Mdn = 2679; IQR = 219) and English-language stations (Mdn = 1955; IQR = 1563). On speciality stations, advertising was most frequent on those primarily focused on sports programming (Mdn = 8036; IQR = 7393), movies and scripted shows (Mdn = 7463; IQR = 5937), and cooking (Mdn = 5498; IQR = 4032). On weekdays, 33% of alcohol ads aired from 6 to 9a.m. and 3 to 9p.m. and on weekends, 52% aired from 6a.m. to 9p.m. when children or adolescents are more likely to be watching television. On youth-oriented stations (n = 4), 7937 alcohol advertisements were broadcast with most airing from 9p.m. to midnight (44-45%) or 12-6a.m. (50%) on both weekdays and weekends. While few alcohol advertisements were broadcast on youth-oriented stations, young people in Canada are likely exposed to such advertising on programming intended for older or general audiences (e.g. sports). More research is needed to ascertain the extent to which broadcast television constitutes a source of alcohol advertising exposure among youth and to inform policies aimed at protecting them from the influence of such exposure.

Young people's alcohol use in and around water: A scoping review of the literature.

The surrounding social and commercial context, including alcohol advertising, heavily influences alcohol consumption. Alcohol use is a major risk factor for both fatal and non-fatal drowning, particularly for young people. We conducted a scoping review to explore the peer-reviewed literature on the use of alcohol by young people (aged 15-34 years) in the context of aquatic environments. Five electronic academic databases were searched for English-language studies conducted in high-income countries and published in the last 15 years (since 2008). The MetaQAT framework was used to assess methodological quality of included studies. The review included a total of 24 studies, including those addressing the prevalence of and/or risk factors for alcohol use in aquatic environments among young people (n = 13); the epidemiology of alcohol-related unintentional drowning in young people (n = 9); and interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm around water (n = 3). Findings suggest that young people commonly consume alcohol around water, particularly young men. We found multiple influences on this behaviour, including the perception of risk, location of aquatic activity and presence of others, particularly peers. Understanding the literature addressing alcohol use around water among young people will assist in identifying and setting priorities for drowning prevention, including the need to mitigate the effects of alcohol advertising which promotes drinking in and around water. There is a clear imperative to address the use of alcohol by young people in aquatic environments. These findings have key implications for public health policy, advocacy and practice.