Awareness of product-related information, health messages and warnings on alcohol packaging among adolescents: a cross-sectional survey in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Background Alcohol packaging can be used to communicate product-related information, health messages and health warnings to consumers. We examined awareness and recall of such information and messaging among adolescents in the United Kingdom. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 11–19 year olds in the United Kingdom (n = 3399), with participants asked if they had seen any information, health messages or warnings on alcohol packaging in the past month (Yes/No) and, if so, what they recalled. We also assessed higher-risk drinking among current drinkers (≥5 Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption) and susceptibility to consume among never-drinkers. Results One-third (32%) of participants had seen information, health messages or warnings on alcohol packaging. Chi-Square tests showed awareness was greater for current drinkers than non-drinkers (46% vs. 19%; P < 0.001), higher-risk drinkers than lower-risk drinkers (55% vs. 39%; P < 0.001), and susceptible never-drinkers than non-susceptible never-drinkers (21% vs. 16%; P = 0.01). Ten messages were recalled, with drinking responsibly (18%) and not drinking during pregnancy (13%) most recalled. Conclusion Most young drinkers, including almost half of higher-risk drinkers, did not recall seeing any information, health messages or warnings on alcohol packaging in the past month, suggesting that current labelling is failing to reach this key audience.

Nature and Potential Impact of Alcohol Health Warning Labels: A Scoping Review

“…Most older studies examining the effectiveness of implemented health warning messages report on the US health warning label, which focuses on risks surrounding drinking during pregnancy, and has not changed since its introduction in 1989 [ 29 , 30 ]. More recent studies on existing health warning labelling schemes, either mandatory [ 31 , 32 ] or voluntary [ 33 , 34 , 35 ], show that the existing labels (e.g., pregnancy logo or responsibility message) are suboptimal and are either not being noticed or not being understood. However, evidence from tobacco shows that health warning labels can be a very important part of the broader package of interventions [ 36 , 37 ], and there have been calls to apply tobacco-style health warning labels to alcohol products [ 38 ].…”

The role of alcohol packaging as a health communications tool: An online cross‐sectional survey and experiment with young adult drinkers in the United Kingdom

“…To explore the impact of the presence and type of warning on product appeal, social acceptability, and cognitive and behavioural impact (aim 3), we incorporated a between-groups experiment into the survey. Surveys and experiments are regularly used in alcohol packaging studies [2,14,[19][20][21], with young adults frequently targeted by alcohol producers when (re)designing packaging [22] and a key population for public health given high levels of hazardous drinking [23].…”

“…Research suggests that consumers in the UK are not engaging with the information currently provided on alcohol packaging and generally support the inclusion of product and health-related information (e.g. number of alcohol units, calories) [8,14,15].…”

Personal responsibility and transplant revisited: A case for assigning lower priority to American vaccine refusers

“…53 Targeted groups may receive much less exposure than the public health authorities believe them to have. 54 In contrast, public health authorities in the United States have been consistent and vocal in their advocacy for vaccination. While data on the benefits of vaccination has been evolving rapidly, it has all moved in one direction-toward the health benefits of being vaccinated.…”