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Friday, September 9, 2011

Young people, alcohol and the media


The media is important in the lives of young people, who have access to a variety of media devices and content. They encounter a range of alcohol depictions that may influence their attitudes to alcohol and their own drinking. Little is known about the effect of non-advertising alcohol depictions and, despite speculation that representations of celebrity alcohol use influence young people’s drinking behaviour, there is a lack of evidence to support such claims.

This mixed-method study explored:

  • the representations of alcohol and drinking in media accessed by young people;
  • how messages were interpreted and the influence they had on drinking;
  • the way young people viewed celebrities shown to drink alcohol;
  • the views of media professionals on the production of alcohol-related content and the potential role of the media in health promotion regarding alcohol use.

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