Marketing
“In Your Face”: Experiences of Alcohol Marketing
Alcohol marketing affects us all. It makes us think positively about alcohol and encourages us to drink more. However, some groups are more affected than others. Evidence shows that alcohol marketing leads children and young people to start drinking earlier, to drink more, and to drink at problematic levels. Children and young people in Scotland recognise how highly visible and heavily marketed alcohol is and have called for action. People in recovery from alcohol problems also talk about how alcohol marketing can act as a trigger and poses a risk to their recovery.
People in recovery
During the past year, Alcohol Focus Scotland has been speaking to the recovery community about alcohol marketing. Through a mix of focus groups, individual interviews, and surveys, we have engaged with more than 150 people. Their experiences are highlighted in this animation and accompanying summary.
Children and young people
Alcohol Focus Scotland also attended youth groups and organisations to hear children and young people’s views about alcohol marketing. In the last year, around 100 young people have told us how marketing impacts on them. Find out what they had to say through this animation and accompanying summary.
Scottish Government Consultation on Restricting Alcohol Marketing
The Scottish Government recently consulted on alcohol advertising and promotion. The consultation closed on 9 March 2023. The Scottish Government have indicated that the responses will be analysed by an independent contractor and published in a report, before they consider possible restrictions.
It is vital that we understand how marketing impacts on people’s lives, and what they think can be done about it. To bring the voices of lived and living experience into conversations about alcohol marketing Alcohol Focus Scotland worked with groups of people to respond to the consultation which closed in March 2023. Many thanks to everyone who responded to the consultation.
Read Alcohol Focus Scotland's response.
Resources for individuals
We developed the following resources to support people who wanted to share their personal views and experiences: