Media and marketing’s influence on drug and alcohol use

Australian teenagers can see alcohol advertising on television, the internet, social media, and on billboards. When young people see alcohol marketing, they become more likely to start drinking at a younger age. They are also more likely to drink alcohol at risky levels. The more alcohol ads they see, the more likely they are to drink alcohol.

Young Australians also regularly see e-cigarette/vape advertising, despite regulations. Common places are vape shops, tobacconists, corner shops, and on social media. As is the case with alcohol, seeing e-cigarette ads is linked to e-cigarette use.

Advertisers use persuasive marketing techniques to make their products appealing. They want people to think the product will improve their mood, give them confidence, and make them popular. Commonly used techniques include:

• Associating the product with glamourous lifestyles or sporting achievements
• Using a spokesperson that their target audience is likely to admire
• Sponsoring sports or music events
• Showing a person consuming the product and gaining popularity

As young people are still developing their sense of self, they may be more easily influenced by advertising techniques. They also often don’t have the skills to identify the techniques advertisers use.

In Australia, alcohol advertising is regulated by both government legislation and self-regulation by the alcohol industry. Government regulation varies between states, and generally focuses on alcohol advertising by licensed venues.

The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) lists key standards for alcohol advertising, which are voluntary and regulated by the alcohol industry. TV broadcasters can’t show alcohol ads during times children are likely to be watching, or during children’s programs. However, these regulations often don’t cover the shows or times teenagers are watching TV. Also, the regulations do not apply to sports broadcasts on the weekend or public holidays. Alcohol ads can be played on the radio at any time.

Tobacco and e-cigarettes generally can’t be advertised in Australia. There are also laws about plain packaging and restrictions on flavours and colours, designed to reduce their appeal to young people. There are some exceptions for pharmaceutical e-cigarettes available with a prescription.

Traditional media, including the news, movies, and TV shows, can exaggerate alcohol and other drug use. For example, news reporting on cannabis use by teenagers, or TV shows showing high school parties. They can make it seem like ‘everyone is doing it’ and normalise harmful behaviours such as drinking to excess.

Alcohol is shown in over 85% of movies, and alcohol brands appear in over 40% of children’s movies. Children can identify alcoholic drinks and are able to recognise brands and logos associated with alcoholic drinks from a young age. Exposure to alcohol in movies puts young people at greater risk of drinking at a younger age and drinking to excess.

Traditional media usually aims to tell a story or report current events, so does not use persuasive advertising techniques. However, sometimes news media will emphasise particular details of a story to capture the attention of their audience, which can lead to a focus on alcohol and other drug use. TV shows and movies can also include paid advertising or product placement.

TV shows are movies are classified to help you know who they are suitable for. Depictions of drug use can lead to higher ratings. For more information, see classification.gov.au.

Young people are exposed to alcohol advertising on social media, through targeted ads, influencers, and their peers. Over 90% of Australians aged 16 to 17-years-old say they have seen alcohol ads on social media. The more alcohol-related content young people see on social media, the more they are likely to drink. There is also an association between time spent on social media and starting to sip alcohol. 

Social media platforms use complex algorithms to target content based on each user’s interests and friends. This means that ads can be even more persuasive than traditional advertisements. Young people are more likely to see social media influencers that share similar interests to them. These influencers can act as spokespeople for the product, and make it seem desirable or an important part of their lifestyle. It can be hard to tell when influencers are being paid to promote a product.

Companies encourage interaction as it effects how well their ads perform. This includes encouraging users to leave a comment or tag a friend.

Advertising on social media is covered by the industry-regulated Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC).Social media platforms have introduced policies to try to stop teenagers seeing alcohol ads.

Research has found that lots of e-cigarette/vaping-related content on social media violates the platform’s policies and can be seen by people aged under 18 years old. Learn more about reporting inappropriate content here.

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