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

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.

Power and Other Commercial Determinants of Health: An Empirical Study of the Australian Food, Alcohol, and Gambling Industries

“…Within this, choice and individual responsibility are often prioritised above protecting people from harms. Individual responsibility discourses manifest as promoting ‘drinking responsibly’ 77 , 78 or ‘gambling responsibly,’ 40 , 41 , 79 emphasising personal or parental responsibility for diet. 80 , 81 In these, products are portrayed as benign, while the industries producing, promoting, and distributing these are portrayed as neutral actors promoting consumer autonomy, enjoyment, and choice.…”