Abstract
Research evidence points to harmful effects from alcohol advertising among children and youth. In particular, exposure to alcohol advertising has been associated with adolescents drinking both earlier and heavier. Although current federal and provincial guidelines have addressed advertising practices to prevent underage drinking, practice has not been supported by existing policy. While protective measures such as social marketing campaigns have the potential for counteracting the effects from alcohol advertising, the effectiveness of such measures can be easily drowned out with increasing advertising activities from the alcohol industry, especially without effective regulation. Research reviewed by the European Focus on Alcohol Safe Environment (FASE) Project has identified a set of key elements that are necessary to make alcohol advertising policy measures effective at protecting children and youth from the harmful effects of alcohol marketing. Using these key elements as an evaluation framework, there are critical components in the Canadian alcohol advertising regulatory system that clearly require strengthening. To protect impressionable children and youth against the harmful effects of alcohol advertising, 13 recommendations to strengthen current alcohol advertising regulations in Canada are provided for Canadian policymakers, advertising standard agencies, and public health groups.
Key words: Alcohol drinking, government regulation, public health, advertising as topic
Résumé
Les données de recherche font état des effets néfastes de la publicité sur l’alcool chez les enfants et les jeunes. On a en particulier associé l’exposition à cette forme de publicité à une consommation d’alcool plus précoce et plus importante chez les adolescents. Bien que des lignes directrices fédérales et provinciales actuelles visent les pratiques publicitaires afin de prévenir la consommation d’alcool par les mineurs, ces directives ne sont pas soutenues par les politiques en vigueur. Des mesures de protection, comme des campagnes de marketing social, pourraient éventuellement contrer les effets de la publicité sur l’alcool, mais leur efficacité est facilement noyée par un accroissement des activités publicitaires de l’industrie de l’alcool, surtout en l’absence d’une réglementation efficace. Des études examinées par le projet européen Focus on Alcohol Safe Environment (FASE) définissent un ensemble d’éléments clés nécessaires pour que les mesures contre la publicité sur l’alcool protègent efficacement les enfants et les jeunes des effets néfastes du marketing de l’alcool. En utilisant ces éléments clés comme cadre d’évaluation, on remarque que des volets essentiels du système de réglementation canadien de la publicité sur l’alcool doivent clairement être renforcés. Afin de protéger les enfants et les jeunes suggestibles contre les effets néfastes de la publicité sur l’alcool, nous formulons, à l’intention des responsables des politiques, des organismes d’établissement des normes publicitaires et des groupes de santé publique canadiens, 13 recommandations pour renforcer la réglementation actuelle de la publicité sur l’alcool au Canada.
Mots clés: consommation d’alcool, réglementation gouvernementale, santé publique, publicité comme sujet
Footnotes
Acknowledgements: The authors acknowledge and thank all of the key informants who provided valuable insights to inform this paper. Funding for the work discussed in this paper was supported by a research grant secured by the Ontario Public Health Association.
Disclaimer: Ms. Heung and Mr. Rempel are now at Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON. The opinions, results and conclusions reported in this paper are those of the authors. No endorsement by Public Health Ontario or by the Ontario Public Health Association is intended or should be inferred.
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
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