We are already accustomed to seeing messages about the dangers of tobacco on cigarette packs. Tobacco companies have no choice as they are required by law to include them. It’s interesting that, given that harm from alcohol They are also very well known: don’t do the same with drink bottles. Will this make any difference in reducing the population’s alcohol consumption?
Australian scientists asked this question in 2021 before conducting a study that led to an interesting conclusion. The key is to use advertising warning about the dangers of alcohol; but at the same time encourage drinkers to count the cups take over a period of time and reduce alcohol consumption.
According to the study, none of these measures will work alone. They need to be united. This study had some limitations. For example, the fact that it was carried out only with people Australia. It would be necessary to test whether alcohol consumption could be controlled in the same way in other countries. But of course this is a good way. Indeed, alcohol consumption has decreased somewhat in recent years, but not enough. More decisive and comprehensive campaigns are needed, but not necessarily more aggressive ones.
Alcohol consumption has decreased, but not as much as we would like
According to the Ministry of Health, alcohol consumption in Spain has decreased 2.7 percentage points between 2020 and 2022 in people aged 15 to 64 years. What this actually means is heavy alcohol consumption. Occasional consumption is not taken into account. But still this is a good step forward.
However, at the global level, alcohol consumption has changed widely, with significant increases in many countries. Therefore we can say that information campaigns They didn’t have the full effect they were supposed to have. Awareness of the many dangers of alcohol contributed to the decline in Spain and other countries. But, without a doubt, it should have gone lower. There are more and more people who have never tried a cigarette in their lives, but it is rare to find an adult who has never tried alcohol. Yeah alcohol also causes cancerWhy is its consumption so resistant to reduction?
Combined campaigns needed
Overall, if we look at deaths from cancer and other health problems, we could say that tobacco is more dangerous than alcohol. Perhaps this is why such harsh campaigns against alcohol have not been carried out. Moreover, the consumption of these drinks has become something widespread. social burden. Unfortunately, there are still people who consider those who don’t drink a drop of alcohol to be eccentrics. This doesn’t happen with tobacco anymore. We are one step behind, although if we take into account accidents, road traffic accidents or any other type caused by alcohol, its consequences are not so different from the consequences of tobacco.
The researchers behind the 2021 Australian study wanted to find ways to reduce alcohol consumption in the population despite this broad social component. To do this they took part 7995 volunteers who abandoned the research in the following stages to such an extent that, in the end, only 2687 people. Thus, they were taken into account when drawing up the conclusions of the study.
Everyone was divided into groups, which were asked to see different types of advertising. Their drinking behavior was then monitored. The ad that worked best was the one that very briefly explained that alcohol causes cancer. But consumers were also advised to count their portions of alcohol and try to reduce them. The danger is revealed and the challenge is made. This is what our brain loves.
If they only talked about the dangers of alcohol or offered to count the number of drinks The benefits were not uniform. It was the volunteers who took part in the combination of both studies who reduced their alcohol consumption the most. From this we conclude that it would be interesting to implement this type of advertising. Not only on television anymore. Drink bottles themselves may contain these types of messages, as can cigarette packs. This doesn’t always work. There are still plenty of smokers who don’t mind the harsh images that sometimes accompany cigarette packs. But these are the messages that have influenced some consumers.
worth a try Because if consumers are told to give up alcohol completely, they may not even want to try, but if they simply have to cut down on their consumption, being aware of what they are drinking and what the risks are, they can get good results.
Source: Hiper Textual
