Aims

To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.

For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Use (and Misuse) of the Responsible Drinking Message in Public Health and Alcohol Advertising: A Review
Health Education & Behavior First Published 10 August 2009

The objective is to present a comparative analysis examining the alcohol industry’s and scholarly researchers’ use of the concept "responsible drinking."

Misunderstanding stemming from the inconsistency and counterintuitive nature of brewer-sponsored "responsible drinking" campaigns is further compounded by researchers’ use of the term and concept of "responsible drinking" in their scholarly reports. In articulating the definition of "responsible drinking," researchers employ subjective notions and personal ideas, thus not differentiating the construct’s meaning from the one acquired in brewer-sponsored campaigns. Researchers are consistently inconsistent when identifying specific health measures that promote and/or contradict responsible alcohol consumption.

To evade the subjective notions of researchers and restrictive impressions attached by the alcohol industry, the manner in which individuals interpret, perceive, and practice responsible drinking must be systematically explored and examined using theoretically based constructs.


Request Reprint E-Mail: aebarry@purdue.edu

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