Utrecht, March 30th
Alcohol advertising. Your child sees more than you think
New movie for parents
We know from research that children and young people often see alcohol advertising.
This can be in the supermarket, when they pass the alcohol shelfs or when they see a price promotion for beer or wine. Sometimes it may be less noticeable to them, such as advertising beer during a Champions-League football match. Children can also see advertisements for alcohol when they are on social media. It is known that popular young people, the so-called influencers, promote the drinking of a certain brand of alcohol on social media for a fee. Young people see less alcohol advertising on TV because they are often on their phone or laptop and also because alcohol advertising is not allowed in the Netherlands on TV (and radio) between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Advertising has an impact.
We know from many studies* that seeing alcohol advertising influences the future drinking behavior of children and young people. The more often they see this commercial, the more likely they are to start drinking alcohol too young. The advertisers have clear own rules on paper about limiting alcohol advertising, which stipulate, among other things, that alcohol advertising may not be aimed at minors. However, the studies show that young people are still frequently exposed to alcohol advertising and sometimes find the advertising attractive to watch.
As part of the ‘Seeing drinking, makes drinking’ campaign of the Dutch Alcohol Policy Alliance (www.ziendrinkendoetdrinken.nl) , we also set the goal that it is good for parents to realize that young people are regularly confronted with alcohol advertising and that this influences their future drinking behaviour. Parents often fail to realize this. If parents discuss this with their children, this can contribute to making young people less sensitive to the effects of advertising.
To make parents more aware of the presence and influence of alcohol advertising, the short film ‘Alcohol advertising. Your child sees more than you think’, in which group 8 children of a Dutch primary school tell in their own way whether they see alcohol advertising, where they see it and what they think about it.
The short film was made by the Dutch Alcohol Policy Alliance in collaboration with her colleagues in the province Zeeland from the project ‘Don’t let them drink or drown’, the primary school Prinses Beatrixschool in Goes and Tejohaas Productions in Heerlen.
The parents of the children have agreed in advance for their child to participate. A copy of the Dutch film is also available with English subtitles.
In preparation for the new campaign ‘Seeing drinking, makes drinking’ 2022, material will be made for parents with suggestions on how to discuss the theme of alcohol advertising with their children.
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-2uMJhgv3A (Dutch)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DKHsSn9sLo (English subtitles)
Research on the influence of alcohol advertising on the future drinking behavior of children:
*J. van Hoof, H. Hendriks, P. Noort. M. van Eck, S. Basemans. M. Pieterse, M. Walet and E. van Reimersdal: Knowledge Synthesis Alcohol Marketing. Literature study into the impact and effect of alcohol marketing on problematic alcohol use as a result of the national Prevention Agreement. University of Twente, University of Amsterdam, Tacts Addiction Care, October 2020.
*A. Kruize, R. Mennes, R. Pieper, J. Steur, N. Jelicic, P. Wiegman. Research Alcohol marketing aimed at young people. Groningen, Breuer & Interval, 2020.
Utrecht, March 2022
Campaign team ‘Seeing drink, makes drinking’
PO Box 9769, 3506 GT Utrecht
www.ziendrinkendoetdrinken.nl