A new study published in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia has revealed some troubling insights into the prevalence and impact of alcohol advertising during high-viewership sports broadcasts. The study found that while these advertisements are not overwhelmingly present, they have the potential to have a serious impact on “risky drinkers”.
Researchers analysed nationally televised NRL and AFL finals matches to measure the frequency and effects of alcohol advertisements on viewers. The study found a notable but not overwhelming presence of alcohol advertisements during the broadcasts. Alcohol ads comprised 3.9 per cent of all ads during AFL broadcasts and 1.8 per cent during NRL broadcasts.
In an online experiment with 345 participants, those exposed to alcohol ads did not exhibit significant changes in drinking intentions or cravings overall. However, risky drinkers who saw ads for their preferred beverages experienced a measurable uptick in cravings, particularly when the exposure occurred in the afternoon or evening.
Risky drinking is defined by the National Health and Medical Research Council as the consumption of more than two standard drinks per day (for lifetime risk of disease) and more than four standard drinks on a single occasion (for risk of injury).
According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s policy and engagement manager, Robert Taylor, people who drink at the riskiest levels consume the majority of alcohol in Australia. “A recent study shows that in 2019, the heaviest drinking 20 per cent of Australians drank 75 per cent of all alcohol consumed in the country”.
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“Sadly, we know alcohol companies rely on those who drink at risky levels to maintain their profits, and this study shows alcohol advertising can lead those most at risk of alcohol harm to experience higher levels of craving. Australians are bombarded with alcohol advertisements, including through traditional media, digital media, outdoor media, promotional activities and sponsorships. These ads often link alcohol with good feelings, friendship and success which normalises drinking and desensitizes the community to the significant harm caused by alcohol use”.
“Sport is a central part of Australia’s identity, and there are many benefits to engaging with it, but there is also a problematic relationship between alcohol and sport. This includes the normalisation of drinking and alcohol advertising during sporting events, and alcohol sponsorship of teams and games,” Taylor said. “This visibility increases the association of alcohol with sport and encourages positive attitudes towards alcohol products”.
The findings of this report suggest a need for targeted health messaging and stricter regulation of alcohol ads during sports events to mitigate their impact on high-risk individuals.
Dr Ross Hollett, a psychology researcher, lecturer at Edith Cowan University, and lead author of the study, told B&T that public health research in Australia examining the impact of alcohol ads during sports is not as comprehensive as the public might think. “Research on adults and research using experimental methods for investigating the impact of alcohol advertisements on inclinations to drink alcohol has not been readily conducted”.
“Experimental (pre/post-exposure) research is very important for making claims about causation and informing health policy and advertising standards. The other issue that encouraged us was the claim that alcohol advertising was over-represented in sports broadcasts. We wanted to understand more precisely just how prevalent these ads were so more informed statements can be made about alcohol advertising,” Hollet said.
Hollett called for targeted health messaging during sports broadcasts that address the at-risk group. “While our research suggests alcohol ads in commercial breaks are not highly prevalent (less than 4 per cent), alcohol health messaging was almost non-existent in these broadcasts (we did not find any). So ultimately, there is little being offered to mitigate the impact of alcohol advertisements during the broadcasts where they are probably needed most”.
“Our data has identified that health messaging needs to target risky drinkers. Risky drinkers are those who drink more than 6 standard drinks on a single occasion, have trouble stopping drinking, failed to perform normal tasks due to drinking, need alcohol to get going in the morning, feel guilt or remorse over drinking, suffer from memory loss from drinking and injure themselves or others while drinking. Many health promotion ads have specific angles (e.g., alcohol-related cancers and other physical health consequences, pregnancy risk, and targeting Aboriginals, etc.). However, I would suggest we need a campaign that targets those who have problematic drinking habits as they are most likely to respond to alcohol advertising,” Hollett said.
“Sport should be about promoting health, and its association with alcohol is counter-intuitive and harmful – we want to see all Australians benefiting from the positive impacts of participating in sport, including better health and community connection,” said Taylor who called for stronger governance around alcohol advertising including strong Government-led regulation of alcohol marketing in Australia that is independent of the alcohol industry.
“Over the past few decades, alcohol companies have largely set their own advertising rules through the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) Scheme. They are voluntary, and there are rarely consequences when breaches occur”.
