Background

The prevalence of alcohol use disorder among the general population in Ireland is estimated at 14.8%.1 In an attempt to reduce alcohol consumption in Ireland and consequently the rate of alcohol-related harms, the Public Health (Alcohol) Act was enacted in 2018.2 Several components of the Act have been commenced but a number remain outstanding, such as Section 13. Section 13 of the Act will restrict the content of alcohol advertisements, requiring the marketing of alcohol products to contain facts about the dangers associated with alcohol consumption; how its use is linked to a number of cancers; how unsafe it is to consume during pregnancy; and will include a link to an independent website containing public health information about alcohol.

Pending commencement of Section 13, alcohol advertising is currently controlled through self-regulation by the alcohol industry and other media bodies and through a non-statutory code of conduct administered by the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland. The latter stipulates that alcohol products should include responsible messaging (‘responsible drinking’) but explicit health warnings are not mandatory.

A 2022 study3 sought to examine the presence of consumer protection messaging in alcohol advertising on the social media platform Twitter in Ireland. It specifically aimed to observe the presence of voluntary and self-regulated messages and also to examine if the Twitter posts or their related accounts provide the consumer with warnings about alcohol use and/or signposts to public health information about alcohol. 

Methods

Content analysis of 554 tweets from 13 alcohol companies based in Ireland, or where their marketing was directed at consumers in Ireland, was carried out. Analysis included coding the content of the Twitter posts according to the presence of warnings related to alcohol consumption (including warnings related to drinking during pregnancy and the link between alcohol use and cancers); the presence of voluntary and self-regulated consumer protection messages; and whether there was information available that referenced websites with public health information about alcohol. 

Results 

Warnings relating to alcohol consumption, drinking during pregnancy, and fatal cancers

The analysis indicated that none (0%) of the 554 tweets or their associated Twitter accounts provided information about the link between alcohol consumption and fatal cancers. Just three tweets (0.5%) provided a warning relating to drinking during pregnancy (via a logo) but none of the related Twitter accounts had pregnancy warnings. 

Voluntary and self-regulated consumer protection messages

Voluntary and self-regulated consumer protection messages were observed in 36.3% of the tweets. The most common messages were ‘Get the facts. Be DRINKAWARE’ (20%) or ‘drink responsibly’ (10.3%). 

Websites with public health information about alcohol

The majority of tweets (72.9%) had no link to a public health website, while 20.6% provided a link to Drinkaware.ie (an alcohol-industry-funded site). 

Discussion

The findings from this study highlight the shortcomings of the current self-regulatory approach to consumer protection messaging in Ireland. This was evident through the lack of consumer warning messaging as stipulated by the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland. It, as the authors note, is ‘an opportunity missed by alcohol companies to demonstrate adherence to simple, self-imposed rules’ (p. 5). Where such messaging was present, it indirectly encouraged consumption (e.g. ‘drink responsibly’) but independent health information was not present.

The findings also indicate a near complete absence of health warning messages, specifically referring to the dangers associated with alcohol use, the links between alcohol use and fatal cancers, or the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. However, a small number of tweets inadvertently showed brief symbols of packaging that warned that alcohol should not be consumed during pregnancy.

Conclusion

Commencement of Section 13 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 will require that alcohol-industry marketing must inform consumers about alcohol and alcohol-related harms with impartial information on Twitter.

1  Mongan D, Millar SR and Galvin B (2021) The 2019–20 Irish National Drug and Alcohol Survey: main findings. Dublin: Health Research Board. https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/34287/

2  Office of the Attorney General Ireland (2018) Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018. Dublin: Irish Statute Book.
https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/33698/

3  Critchlow N and Moodie C (2022) Consumer protection messages in alcohol marketing on Twitter in Ireland: a content analysis. Drugs: Educ Prev Policy, Early online. https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/35588/