A pilot study by Addiction Switzerland traced the alcohol incentives on the routes of 16 to 19-year-old adolescents in everyday life and in social networks. On average, the test subjects in the five largest Swiss cities encountered an alcohol incentive every five minutes. Alcohol was also omnipresent in social networks, transported by friends and influencers, who are often paid for it. The study showed the frightening normality of alcohol in the everyday life of adolescents.
Alcohol marketing is aimed strongly at young people, as they are the customers of tomorrow. A pilot study by Addiction Switzerland , financed by the Federal Customs Administration, looked into the question of how much adolescents are actually exposed to alcohol stimuli. The study layout was partly based on an earlier study on tobacco marketing : Here, too, the typical routes and activities taken by young people in everyday life and when going out in Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Basel and Zurich were traced. All alcohol incentives encountered were systematically recorded. In addition, the alcohol incentives encountered by the young people in social networks were recorded.
At least half of the incentives are intentional
On average, the distances (including activities such as sports, cinema, restaurant, etc.) were covered within six hours each. 73 alcohol stimuli were recorded per trip, which means, on average, a reminder of the alcohol every five minutes! It should be said that the investigation in autumn 2020 came at a time when the Covid measures were becoming stricter again and the exit bars were closing again, and fewer events were taking place in public spaces. It can be assumed that advertising activity has been reduced accordingly during this period.
Half of the stimuli recorded related to alcohol advertising or the promotion of alcoholic beverages. The other half consisted of apparently random alcohol stimuli: Empty bottles and cans in public spaces, depictions of where alcohol plays a role (e.g. an occasion where people drink), what is offered on a menu card, etc.
In addition, all perceived prevention messages should be recorded. But it turned out that these were almost completely absent on the paths of the young people.
On social media: the power of images and influencers
Alcohol marketing has partly shifted to the internet. 85% of young people between the ages of 12 and 19 spent an hour or more per day on the Internet in 2019 , the majority of them are also on social networks, which has probably increased during the pandemic . On Snapchat, Instagram and Tiktok in particular, they receive numerous pictures and messages from friends and acquaintances who have alcohol as their topic. The alcohol advertising by influencers is also noticeable.
A society banalizing alcohol does not protect its youth
The results of this pilot study impressively show how strongly young people are already confronted with alcohol. It becomes normal for them to include alcohol. This is alarming in view of the around 400 young people who are admitted to hospital in Switzerland every year because of alcohol poisoning. A large part of these alcohol stimuli is consciously placed or at least it is tolerated that adolescents are also advertised. Sucht Switzerland therefore calls for the measures to be taken to protect young people to be stepped up. These include the restriction of alcohol advertising and thus the reduction in the attractiveness of alcohol among young people.
Source: mportner-helfer @ suchtschweiz.ch May 2021