scholarly journals Food as harm reduction during a drinking session: reducing the harm, or normalising harmful use of alcohol? A comparative analysis of alcohol industry and non-alcohol industry-funded advice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Ramsbottom ◽  
Mark Petticrew ◽  
May van Schalkwyk ◽  
Lauren Carters-White ◽  
Yasmine Benylles
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Information Space ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Context Analysis ◽  
Moderate Drinking ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
Drinking Session

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to critically analyse information concerning the relationship between alcohol and food consumption provided via alcohol industry (AI) funded and non-AI-funded health-oriented websites, to determine the role it plays within the alcohol information space, and how this serves the interests of the disseminating organisations. Methods: Information on food as a harm reduction measure while drinking alcohol was extracted from the websites of 15 AI-funded corporate social responsibility (CSR) organisations. As a comparison group, non-AI-funded health websites were also searched (n=16 websites with food and alcohol-related content). Information on both the webpages themselves, and downloadable information sheets was included. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) was used to allow the text analysed to be situated within the broader political and social context. Analysis was carried out iteratively, involving continuous comparison within and between websites. Discursive themes were identified by three researchers. Identified discursive elements were discussed to reach a consensus, and a final coding framework was then developed. “Tone” analysis was used to assess whether the overall tone within individual websites were considered to be pro-alcohol consumption, neutral or discouraging of alcohol consumption.Results: There were some commonalities across AI and non-AI-funded websites, whereby both appeared to normalise alcohol consumption and to encourage use of food as a measure to enable sustained drinking, to avoid drinking in a way that results in short-term harms, and to prevent or “cure” a hangover. The fact that both AI-funded and non-AI-funded organisations shared many of these narratives is particularly concerning. However, discourse of food and alcohol that served to promote “moderate” drinking as beneficial to health, was used exclusively by AI-funded organisations, focusing on special occasions and individual blaming. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption, including heavy and harmful consumption, is frequently normalised within the online information space. Emphasising food consumption may have the effect of supporting consumers to drink for longer periods of time. Health professionals and independent health organisations should challenge why AI-funded organisations, with a major conflict of interest, and a history of health misinformation, are often given the responsibility for disseminating health information to the public.

scholarly journals Comparing responses to public health and industry-funded alcohol harm reduction advertisements: an experimental study

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e035569
Author(s):  
Emily Brennan ◽  
Danielle A J M Schoenaker ◽  
Sarah J Durkin ◽  
Kimberley Dunstone ◽  
Helen G Dixon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Drinking Alcohol ◽  
Reduce Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
Online Panel ◽  
Alcohol Harm Reduction

ObjectivesConduct a head-to-head experimental test of responses to alcohol harm reduction advertisements developed by alcohol industry Social Aspects/Public Relations Organisations (SAPROs) versus those developed by public health (PH) agencies. We hypothesised that, on average, SAPRO advertisements would be less effective at generating motivation (H1) and intentions to reduce alcohol consumption (H2) but more effective at generating positive perceptions of people who drink (H3).DesignOnline experiment with random assignment to condition.Participants2923 Australian adult weekly drinkers (49% high-risk drinkers) recruited from an opt-in online panel.InterventionsParticipants viewed 3 of 83 advertisements developed by PH agencies (n=2174) or 3 of 28 advertisements developed by SAPROs (n=749).Primary outcome measuresParticipants reported their motivation to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed; behave responsibly and/or not get drunk; and limit their drinking around/never supply to minors, as well as intentions to avoid drinking alcohol completely; reduce the number of drinking occasions; and reduce the amount of alcohol consumed per occasion. Participants also reported their perceptions of people who drink alcohol on six success-related items and four fun-related items.ResultsCompared with drinkers exposed to PH advertisements, those exposed to SAPRO advertisements reported lower motivation to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed (β=−0.091, 95% CI −0.171 to −0.010), and lower odds of intending to avoid alcohol completely (OR=0.77, 0.63 to 0.94) and to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed per occasion (OR=0.82, 0.69 to 0.97). SAPRO advertisements generated more favourable fun-related perceptions of drinkers (β=0.095, 0.013 to 0.177).ConclusionsThe alcohol harm reduction advertisements produced by alcohol industry SAPROs that were tested in this study were not as effective at generating motivation and intentions to reduce alcohol consumption as those developed by PH organisations. These findings raise questions as to whether SAPROs should play a role in alcohol harm reduction efforts.

Alcohol consumption and carotid atherosclerosis in China: the Cardiovascular Risk Survey

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Xie ◽  
Yi-Tong Ma ◽  
Yi-Ning Yang ◽  
Zhen-Yan Fu ◽  
Xiang Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Carotid Artery ◽  
Alcohol Intake ◽  
Carotid Atherosclerosis ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Lipoprotein Cholesterol ◽  
Moderate Drinking ◽  
Carotid Plaques ◽  
Uygur Population

Aim: The relationship between alcohol consumption and carotid atherosclerosis has been reported in some epidemiological studies, but the results were conflicting. We investigated the association between alcohol intake and carotid atherosclerosis in the Han, Uygur, and Kazakh populations in Xinjiang in western China. Methods and results: The study population sample comprised 13,037 Chinese people (5277 Han, 4572 Uygur, and 3188 Kazakh) aged ≥35 years who participated in a cardiovascular risk survey between June 2007 and March 2010. Daily consumption of alcohol was determined by the number and frequency of alcoholic beverages consumed. Carotid-artery parameters, including common carotid artery intima–media thickness (CCA–IMT) and carotid plaques were measured using high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography. In the Han and Kazakh populations, CCA–IMT as a function of alcohol consumption was depicted as a J-shaped curve with a nadir for the alcohol-intake category of 20–29.9 g/day; In the Uygur population, a similar curve with a nadir of 30–49.9 g/day was observed. With respect to the prevalence of carotid plaques, we also observed similar curves in the Han and Kazakh populations, but not in the Uygur population. After adjustment for age, sex, blood pressure, body mass index, and smoking status, as well as levels of glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, the J-shaped curves remained. Conclusions: Our results indicated that alcohol consumption was associated with carotid atherosclerosis and that moderate drinking had an inverse association with carotid atherosclerosis. However, the definition of moderate drinking could be different in Han, Uygur, and Kazakh populations.

scholarly journals Frequent drinking is a more important risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation than binge drinking: a nationwide population-based study

EP Europace ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Gi Kim ◽  
Kyung-Do Han ◽  
Jong-Il Choi ◽  
Ki Yung Boo ◽  
Do Young Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Alcohol Intake ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Drinking Session ◽  
Onset Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Frequent Drinking ◽  
New Onset

Abstract Aims Heavy consumption of alcohol is a known risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to evaluate the relative importance of frequent drinking vs. binge drinking. Methods and results A total of 9 776 956 patients without AF who participated in a national health check-up programme were included in the analysis. The influence of drinking frequency (day per week), alcohol consumption per drinking session (grams per session), and alcohol consumption per week were studied. Compared with patients who drink twice per week (reference group), patients who drink once per week showed the lowest risk [hazard ratio (HR) 0.933, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.916–0.950] and those who drink everyday had the highest risk for new-onset AF (HR 1.412, 95% CI 1.373–1.453), respectively. However, the amount of alcohol intake per drinking session did not present any clear association with new-onset AF. Regardless of whether weekly alcohol intake exceeded 210 g, the frequency of drinking was significantly associated with the risk of new-onset AF. In contrast, when patients were stratified by weekly alcohol intake (210 g per week), those who drink large amounts of alcohol per drinking session showed a lower risk of new-onset AF. Conclusion Frequent drinking and amount of alcohol consumption per week were significant risk factors for new-onset AF, whereas the amount of alcohol consumed per each drinking session was not an independent risk factor. Avoiding the habit of consuming a low but frequent amount of alcohol might therefore be important to prevent AF.

scholarly journals Estimation of cancers caused by light to moderate alcohol consumption in the European Union

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pol Rovira ◽  
Jürgen Rehm
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Public Information ◽  
World Health ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Standard Drink ◽  
Moderate Drinking ◽  
The Eu

Abstract Background Research has identified alcohol to be an important risk factor for several types of cancers. This study estimates the number of incident cancers attributable to alcohol consumption in the European Union (EU) in 2017, with a special focus on those caused by light to moderate drinking levels. Methods The attributable-fraction methodology is used to estimate the number of new cancer cases in the year 2017 in the EU caused by alcohol use, and further examines those due to light to moderate drinking levels, defined here as alcohol consumption of <20 g of pure alcohol per day. Results Light to moderate drinking levels of alcohol caused almost 23 000 new cancer cases in the EU in 2017, and accounted for 13.3% of all alcohol-attributable cancers, and 2.3% of all cases of the seven alcohol-related cancer types. Almost half of these (∼11 000 cases) were female breast cancers. Also, more than a third of the cancer cases due to light to moderate drinking resulted from a light drinking level of <1 standard drink per day (total: 37%; women: 40%; men: 32%). Conclusions Alcohol use, including light to moderate drinking, continues to cause considerable cancer burden, and efforts should be made to reduce this burden. In addition to the alcohol control policies suggested by the World Health Organization, public information campaigns and the placement of warning labels on alcohol containers advising of the cancer risk associated with alcohol use should be initiated to increase knowledge about the alcohol-cancer link.

Evaluation of Australia’s first older adult-specific early intervention for reducing alcohol-related harm

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Bright ◽  
Cylie M. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

The aim of the present case study was to evaluate the service-wide implementation of Australia’s first older adult-specific early intervention called Older Wiser Lifestyles (OWL). OWL was designed to reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm among people identified as being at risk. OWL used the Australian Alcohol-Related Problems Survey (A-ARPS) to classify people’s drinking patterns as non-hazardous, hazardous or harmful. Participants of the present study were aged ≥60 years and consumed alcohol in the past month, although they did not require treatment for dependence. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – Consumption (AUDIT-C) was used as a composite measure of alcohol consumption. Data were collected before intervention and 3 and 6 months after intervention. In all, 140 clients were screened and attended at least one appointment (54% male; mean (± s.d.) age 72.8±7.6 years). Generalised estimating equation (GEE) examined the correlations between the intervention groups, time point and outcomes of interest. At 6 months, significant reductions were observed in A-ARPS classification (P=0.001) and AUDIT-C scores (P=0.001) among all clients, regardless of the number of sessions or intervention group. These preliminary findings warrant a randomised clinical trial of the intervention. Until this is completed, Australian health care providers should still consider the early intervention to reduce the risk of alcohol consumption among older adults. What is known about this topic? Older Australians are increasingly drinking alcohol at levels that place them at risk of experiencing harm. Although early interventions have been developed overseas that have been shown to reduce risky drinking among older adults, no such program has been implemented in Australia. What does this paper add? We developed an early intervention program (OWL) that drew from and extended intervention protocols developed overseas. In particular, we added harm reduction as a component of the intervention. Harm reduction interventions do not appear to have been evaluated among older adults. The OWL program was evaluated and found to be associated with decreased levels of alcohol-related harm. What are the implications for practitioners? Older adults have different needs when it comes to considering risk of alcohol-related harm. Many are taking medications that interact with alcohol or have comorbid conditions that can be exacerbated by alcohol or more difficult to treat. Yet, many such individuals are not considered to be at risk due to poor screening among this population. The program we developed takes into account these age-specific factors and has been manualised. As such, it could be implemented by a variety of healthcare workers in numerous settings. We hope that practitioners are interested in trialling the program and that a randomised controlled trial is conducted to establish the efficacy of the program.

The Effect of Smoking on the Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and All-Cause Mortality in Canadian Women

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-386
Author(s):  
Jürgen Rehm ◽  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Susan Bondy ◽  
Mary Jane Ashley ◽  
Joanna Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Moderate Drinking ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Heavy Drinkers ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Effect Of Light

The protective effect of light to moderate drinking on all-cause mortality in general is well established, but there have been questions on its generalizability to women and non-smokers. The present study addresses these questions with a large cohort of Canadian middle-aged women. The key findings indicate that light to moderate drinkers have a markedly lower risk of mortality compared with current abstainers and that this effect is independent of smoking status. Part of this effect may be due to ex-drinkers who are part of the current abstainers group. Heavy drinkers have a higher mortality risk than light to moderate drinkers.

scholarly journals Advancing alcohol research in low-income and middle-income countries: a global alcohol environment framework

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e001958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Walls ◽  
Sarah Cook ◽  
Richard Matzopoulos ◽  
Leslie London
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Drinking Behaviour ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
The Impact

Alcohol-related harm has gained increased attention in high-income countries (HICs) in recent years which, alongside government regulation, has effected a reduction in alcohol consumption. The alcohol industry has turned its attention to low-income and middle-income country (LMIC) markets as a new source of growth and profit, prompting increased consumption in LMICS. Alcohol use in LMICs is also increasing. There is a need to understand particularly in LMICs the impact of industry strategy in shaping local contexts of alcohol use. We draw on conceptualisations from food systems research, and research on the commercial determinants of health, to develop a new approach for framing alcohol research and discuss implications for alcohol research, particularly in LMICs, focusing on South Africa as an illustrative example. We propose a conceptualisation of the ‘alcohol environment’ as the system of alcohol provision, acquisition and consumption—including, critically, industry advertising and marketing—along with the political, economic and regulatory context of the alcohol industry that mediates people’s alcohol drinking patterns and behaviours. While each country and region is different in terms of its context of alcohol use, we contrast several broadly distinct features of alcohol environments in LMICs and HICs. Improving understanding of the full spectrum of influences on drinking behaviour, particularly in LMICs, is vital to inform the design of interventions and policies to facilitate healthier environments and reduce the harms associated with alcohol consumption. Our framework for undertaking alcohol research may be used to structure mixed methods empirical research examining the role of the alcohol environment particularly in LMICs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document