Alcohol and the media

Fülszöveg

Alcohol education is one of the most widely used tools in the primary prevention of alcohol-related problems. One reason for its limited success, however, is that it competes with a barrage of messages that promote the use of alcohol. The primary source of pro-alcohol messages is social reality itself: the widespread and visible availability of alcoholic drinks, and the presence and acceptability of alcohol in a variety of everyday situations and contexts. While alcohol advertising is not a negligible influence on society, it would be wrong to assume that restricting it would suffice to reduce the level of alcohol consumption or of alcohol-related problems. It would alsó be unwise to assume that intensive public education on alcohol could achieve substantial social change in the absence of a supportive public policy. The prevention of alcohol-related problems requires an integrated approach encompassing several strategies which, rather than attempting to alleviate problems of... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Alcohol education is one of the most widely used tools in the primary prevention of alcohol-related problems. One reason for its limited success, however, is that it competes with a barrage of messages that promote the use of alcohol. The primary source of pro-alcohol messages is social reality itself: the widespread and visible availability of alcoholic drinks, and the presence and acceptability of alcohol in a variety of everyday situations and contexts. While alcohol advertising is not a negligible influence on society, it would be wrong to assume that restricting it would suffice to reduce the level of alcohol consumption or of alcohol-related problems. It would alsó be unwise to assume that intensive public education on alcohol could achieve substantial social change in the absence of a supportive public policy. The prevention of alcohol-related problems requires an integrated approach encompassing several strategies which, rather than attempting to alleviate problems of individual behaviour, addresses them as properties of the social and physical environment. Current research suggests that the most effective policy consists in controlling the physical and economic availability of alcohol. Public education and restrictions on alcohol advertising receive far less support, and are best seen as additional components that can be used to support the more robust measures within the context of a comprehensive alcohol control policy. Vissza