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Dumbili EW. Alcohol industry-sponsored music festivals, alcohol marketing and drinking practices among young Nigerians: Implications for policy. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 127:104384. [PMID: 38492330 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The global alcohol industry sponsors social/music events targeting young people; however, existing literature focuses on Westernised contexts. Given the decline in young people's drinking in many Western countries, it appears that multinational alcohol companies are importing the strategies they have used in high-income countries to the Global South countries like Nigeria to recoup profits. This study aims to examine the Guinness Show- a free one-month annual music festival, alcohol marketing at the festival and the extent to which the event encourages diverse drinking practices among its attendees. METHODS We observed the music festival before collecting data through 53 interviews and 3 focus groups (N = 26). Data were analysed to generate themes with the aid of NVivo 12 software. FINDINGS Over 6000 participants attend the Guinness Show daily, and participants gave detailed descriptions of the music festival, alcohol marketing activities that occur in it and the drinking practices of attendees, indicating that they were highly knowledgeable of the event. The Guinness Show attracts famous music artistes and other entertainers. Therefore, young people attend to see them perform free of charge. However, diverse alcohol promotions (e.g., quantity deals, low prices, giveaways) that happen daily, the strategic use of young women as 'beer promoters', and the pleasure the event induces by fusing music/entertainment into alcogenic environments, encourage drinking and drunkenness. All the attendees drank alcohol, and some engaged in impulse buying, while many consumed excessively due to promotions (e.g., buy-two-get-one free), which facilitated intoxication and the loss of control. CONCLUSIONS Guinness Nigeria organises the event for strategic brand communication, generating brand capital, and encouraging alcohol purchases and consumption among young people. Policymakers should reconsider self-regulation and implement national alcohol control policies and other public health interventions to restrain the alcohol industry from sponsoring such events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emeka W Dumbili
- School of Sociology, College of Social Sciences and Law, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
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2
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Davies M, Boytchev H. Big alcohol: Universities and schools urged to throw out industry-funded public health advice. BMJ 2024; 385:q851. [PMID: 38658029 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
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3
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Maani N, van Schalkwyk MC, Wiseman A, Petticrew M. Commercially driven efforts to frame alcohol harms have no place in UK health policy development. BMJ 2024; 385:q800. [PMID: 38575194 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
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Pitt H, McCarthy S, Arnot G. Children, young people and the Commercial Determinants of Health. Health Promot Int 2024; 39:daad185. [PMID: 38294037 PMCID: PMC10828929 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The commercial determinants of health (CDoH) have a significant impact on the health and well-being of children and young people (subsequently referred to as young people). While most research has focused on the influence of harmful industry marketing on young people, more recent CDoH frameworks have emphasized that a range of commercial systems and practices may influence health and well-being. Focusing on the impact of traditional and digital media, contemporary marketing strategies and corporate production and consumption processes, the following article outlines the impact of the CDoH on the health and wellbeing of young people. The article also provides evidence about how young people conceptualize the impact of corporate actors on health, and their involvement in advocacy strategies to respond. The article recommends that when collaborating with young people to understand the impacts of and responses to the CDoH, we should seek to diversify investigations towards the impact of a range of corporate tactics, systems and structures, rather than simply focusing on the impacts of advertising. This should include considering areas and priorities that young people identify as areas for action and understanding why some young people are more vulnerable to commercial tactics than others. Youth are powerful allies in responding to the CDoH. Public health and health promotion stakeholders could do more to champion the voices of young people and allow them to be active participants in the decisions that are made about harmful commercial practices and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Pitt
- Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Simone McCarthy
- Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Grace Arnot
- Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
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Maani N, CI van Schalkwyk M, Petticrew M. Under the influence: system-level effects of alcohol industry-funded health information organizations. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:daad167. [PMID: 38097395 PMCID: PMC10721437 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
There is now an established body of evidence that the alcohol industry seeks to obstruct public health policies that could affect the availability, affordability or marketing of alcohol. In parallel, the alcohol industry is active in funding corporate social responsibility initiatives, with a particular focus on 'responsible drinking' campaigns, often facilitated by national-level charities established and/or funded by the alcohol industry and associated organizations. While evidence continues to grow regarding biases in the content produced by such health information organizations, they remain active in partnerships with government health departments on national health promotion campaigns and provide a range of health-related information to the public, community organizations and schools. To understand the implications of such access for policymakers, researchers and the public, there is a need to consider the wider, system-level influences of such organizations and their place in wider alcohol industry strategies. In this article, we describe evolving evidence of the direct and indirect strategic effects of such organizations and demonstrate how they serve key roles in the alcohol industry through their existence, content, partnerships and public profiles. We end by considering the implications for how we conceptualize charities established or funded (entirely or partly) by harmful commodity industries, and to what extent current conflicts of interest guidelines are sufficiently effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nason Maani
- Global Health Policy Unit, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, 15a George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD, UK
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - May CI van Schalkwyk
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Mark Petticrew
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK
- UK PRP SPECTRUM Consortium, Usher Institute, Old Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
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6
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Maani N. Stop blaming the industry and follow the science: it's time we learnt to bazooka responsibly. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:daad179. [PMID: 38126885 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nason Maani
- Global Health Policy Unit, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, 15a George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LD, UK
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7
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Sigman A. Paediatricians can reduce future alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. Arch Dis Child 2023; 108:897-898. [PMID: 36411065 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2022-324325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aric Sigman
- Independent Health Education Lecturer, Brighton, UK
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Petticrew M, Glover RE, Volmink J, Blanchard L, Cott É, Knai C, Maani N, Thomas J, Tompson A, van Schalkwyk MCI, Welch V. The Commercial Determinants of Health and Evidence Synthesis (CODES): methodological guidance for systematic reviews and other evidence syntheses. Syst Rev 2023; 12:165. [PMID: 37710334 PMCID: PMC10503085 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02323-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The field of the commercial determinants of health (CDOH) refers to the commercial products, pathways and practices that may affect health. The field is growing rapidly, as evidenced by the WHO programme on the economic and commercial determinants of health and a rise in researcher and funder interest. Systematic reviews (SRs) and evidence synthesis more generally will be crucial tools in the evolution of CDOH as a field. Such reviews can draw on existing methodological guidance, though there are areas where existing methods are likely to differ, and there is no overarching guidance on the conduct of CDOH-focussed systematic reviews, or guidance on the specific methodological and conceptual challenges. METHODS/RESULTS CODES provides guidance on the conduct of systematic reviews focussed on CDOH, from shaping the review question with input from stakeholders, to disseminating the review. Existing guidance was used to identify key stages and to provide a structure for the guidance. The writing group included experience in systematic reviews and other forms of evidence synthesis, and in equity and CDOH research (both primary research and systematic reviews). CONCLUSIONS This guidance highlights the special methodological and other considerations for CDOH reviews, including equity considerations, and pointers to areas for future methodological and guideline development. It should contribute to the reliability and utility of CDOH reviews and help stimulate the production of reviews in this growing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Petticrew
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, LSHTM, London, WC1H 9SH, UK.
| | - Rebecca E Glover
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, LSHTM, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Jimmy Volmink
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | | | | | - Cécile Knai
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, LSHTM, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Nason Maani
- Global Health Policy Unit, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD, UK
| | - James Thomas
- UCL Institute of Education, University College London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL, UK
| | - Alice Tompson
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, LSHTM, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | | | - Vivian Welch
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
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Kilian C, Manthey J, Braddick F, López-Pelayo H, Rehm J. Social disparities in alcohol's harm to others: evidence from 32 European countries. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 118:104079. [PMID: 37271071 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use can cause harm not only to the person who consumes it but also to others. Prior research has found that these alcohol-attributable harms to others differ across socioeconomic groups, though several findings have been contradictory. The aim of this contribution was to study the role of individual-level and population-level income inequalities in alcohol's harm to others among women and men. METHODS Logistic regression analysis of cross-sectional survey data from 2021, covering 39,629 respondents from 32 European countries. Harms from others' drinking were defined as experiences of physical harm, involvement in a serious argument, or involvement in a traffic accident, due to another person's drinking, within the past year. We examined the association of individual-level income and country-specific income inequality (Gini index) with harms from a known person's or a stranger's drinking, adjusting for the respondent's age, daily drinking levels, and at least monthly risky single-occasion drinking. RESULTS At the individual level, people with lower incomes had 21% to 47% increased odds of reporting harms from a known person's drinking (women and men) or stranger's drinking (men only) than their same-gender counterparts in the highest income quintile. At the national level, countries with higher income inequality showed increased risks of harms from a known person's drinking among women (OR = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05 - 1.14), while among men the risk of harm from strangers' drinking decreased with higher income inequality (OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.81 - 0.92). These associations with income inequality were observed among respondents from all but the lowest income groups. CONCLUSION Alcohol can cause harm to others, with women and people with low incomes being disproportionally exposed to these harms. Alcohol control policies targeting high consumption levels, especially among men, as well as upstream policies to reduce inequalities, are needed to lower the health burden of alcohol beyond those who consume it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Kilian
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Jakob Manthey
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fleur Braddick
- Grup de Recerca en Addicions Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hugo López-Pelayo
- Grup de Recerca en Addicions Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Addictions Unit, Psychiatry Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jürgen Rehm
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russian Federation
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10
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Thomas S, van Schalkwyk MCI, Daube M, Pitt H, McGee D, McKee M. Protecting children and young people from contemporary marketing for gambling. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:7080461. [PMID: 36932993 PMCID: PMC10024482 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daac194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Around the world, children are being exposed to intensive marketing for gambling products. This normalizes perceptions that gambling is essentially a harmless form of entertainment, despite mounting evidence of the harms it causes. Young people and their parents are supportive of strategies to protect children from being exposed to gambling marketing. Yet existing regulatory efforts are inconsistent and inadequate, and have not protected children from exposure to the many forms of marketing now being developed and exploited by the gambling industry. We outline existing knowledge about strategies used by the gambling industry to market its products, with a specific focus on the potential impact of gambling marketing on young people. We provide a definition of gambling marketing and outline the different forms of promotion that are currently used to market gambling, current regulatory responses, and the impact of marketing on children and young people. We then argue that a comprehensive public health approach to gambling is urgently required, which must include effective action to limit the influence of marketing for gambling products, while recognizing that it is never possible to insulate children entirely from their reach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - May C I van Schalkwyk
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mike Daube
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Hannah Pitt
- Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | | | - Martin McKee
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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11
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Petticrew M. Commentary on McCambridge et al.: When the emperor has no clothes (but pretends to be a fashion expert). Addiction 2023; 118:567-568. [PMID: 36617719 DOI: 10.1111/add.16120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Petticrew
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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12
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van Schalkwyk MC, Petticrew M, Maani N, Hawkins B. Denormalising alcohol industry activities in schools. Lancet Public Health 2023; 8:e90-e91. [PMID: 36709057 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(22)00341-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- May Ci van Schalkwyk
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | - Mark Petticrew
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Nason Maani
- Global Health Policy Unit, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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13
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Ramsbottom A, van Schalkwyk MCI, Carters-White L, Benylles Y, Petticrew M. Food as harm reduction during a drinking session: reducing the harm or normalising harmful use of alcohol? A qualitative comparative analysis of alcohol industry and non-alcohol industry-funded guidance. Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:66. [PMID: 35752850 PMCID: PMC9233813 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00648-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to critically analyse information concerning the relationship between alcohol and food consumption provided via alcohol industry (AI) funded and non-AI-funded health-oriented websites, to determine the role it plays within the alcohol information space, and how this serves the interests of the disseminating organisations. METHODS Information on food as a harm reduction measure while drinking alcohol was extracted from 15 AI websites and websites of AI-funded corporate social responsibility (CSR) organisations. As a comparison group, non-AI-funded health websites were also searched (n = 16 websites with food and alcohol-related content). Information was included from webpage content and associated downloadable documents. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) was adopted to allow the texts analysed to be situated within the broader political and social context. Analysis was carried out iteratively, involving continuous comparison within and between websites. Discursive themes were identified by three researchers. Identified discursive elements were discussed to reach a consensus, and a final coding framework was then developed. "Tone" analysis was used to assess whether the overall tone within individual websites was considered to be pro-alcohol consumption, neutral or discouraging of alcohol consumption. RESULTS There were some commonalities across AI and non-AI-funded websites, whereby both appeared to normalise alcohol consumption and to encourage use of food as a measure to enable sustained drinking, to avoid drinking in a way that results in short-term harms, and to prevent or "cure" a hangover. The fact that both AI-funded and non-AI-funded organisations shared many of these narratives is particularly concerning. However, a discourse of food and alcohol that served to promote "moderate" drinking as beneficial to health was used exclusively by AI-funded organisations, focusing on special occasions and individual-blaming. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol consumption, including heavy and harmful consumption, is frequently normalised within the online information space. Emphasising food consumption with alcohol may have the effect of supporting consumers to drink for longer periods of time. Health professionals and independent health organisations should review the information they provide in light of our findings and challenge why AI-funded organisations, with a major conflict of interest, and a history of health misinformation, are often given the responsibility for disseminating health information to the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ramsbottom
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH UK
| | - May C. I. van Schalkwyk
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH UK
| | - Lauren Carters-White
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Old Medical School, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG UK
| | - Yasmine Benylles
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Old Medical School, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG UK
| | - Mark Petticrew
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH UK
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14
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van Schalkwyk MC, Hawkins B, Petticrew M. The politics and fantasy of the gambling education discourse: An analysis of gambling industry-funded youth education programmes in the United Kingdom. SSM Popul Health 2022; 18:101122. [PMID: 35637741 PMCID: PMC9142715 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The provision of commercialised gambling products and services has changed radically in recent decades. Gambling is now provided in many places by multi-national corporations, with important implications for public health and policymaking. The United Kingdom is one of the most liberalised gambling markets globally, however there are few empirical analyses of gambling policy from a public health perspective. This study aims to provide a critical analysis of a core element of UK gambling policy, the provision of industry-funded youth gambling education programmes. Methods Adopting a commercial determinants of health lens, a discourse theoretical analysis was conducted using the logics of critical explanation. The data comprised resources provided by three gambling industry-funded charities (GambleAware, GamCare and the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust) and their partners. Results The resources present a gambling education discourse that serves to reproduce the 'responsible gambling' agenda, while problematising children and young people. While the resources appear to offer educational content and opportunities for debate, the dominant focus is on teaching about personal responsibility and on the normalisation of gambling and gaming and their industries, while constraining the concept of agency. The resources encourage young people to act as individuals to control their impulses, and to correct what are portrayed as faulty cognitions with the aim of becoming responsible consumers. Our findings demonstrate how the gambling education discourse aligns with wider industry interests, serving to deflect from the harmful nature of the products and services they market while shifting responsibility for harm onto children, youth and their families. Conclusions Despite being delivered in the name of public health, the resources construct a discourse favourable to corporate interests. Educators, parents, policymakers, and others need to be empowered to address the conflicts of interest that exist in the delivery of gambling industry-funded resources. The promotion of such industry-favoured interventions should not be allowed to undermine efforts to implement regulations to prevent gambling harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- May C.I. van Schalkwyk
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK,Corresponding author. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH, UK.
| | | | - Mark Petticrew
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK,SPECTRUM Consortium (Shaping Public Health Policies to Reduce Inequalities and Harm), UK
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15
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Marko S, Thomas SL, Robinson K, Daube M. Gamblers' perceptions of responsibility for gambling harm: a critical qualitative inquiry. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:725. [PMID: 35413823 PMCID: PMC9004097 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13109-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gambling has traditionally been conceptualised as an issue of addiction and personal responsibility. While there are now clear public health models that recognise that gambling harm is caused by a range of socio-cultural, environmental, commercial and political determinants, government and industry messages about gambling are still largely personal responsibility focused. Given the well-recognised issues associated with personal responsibility paradigms, this study sought to understand how gamblers themselves conceptualised responsibility for gambling harm. Methods A qualitatively led online panel survey was conducted with 363 adult gamblers in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. Participants were asked to respond to what they thought were the causes of gambling harm, and what could be done to prevent harm. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Results Six common tropes were constructed from gamblers’ responses: (1) Gambling in moderation; (2) Personal responsibility for rational behaviour; (3) Character flaws; (4) Personal responsibility to seek help; (5) More education is needed; and (6) Governments are responsible for action – but motivation and efficacy are questioned. Gamblers primarily understood gambling harm as being a matter of personal responsibility, and government responsibility was generally seen as limited to providing information to facilitate informed gambling choices. Conclusions This study demonstrates that gamblers’ perceptions of gambling harm are similar to the personal responsibility framings and tropes present in industry and government messaging strategies. Refocusing public communication strategies away from ‘responsible gambling’ messaging, and towards evidence-based approaches, will be an important part of addressing the harms associated with gambling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Marko
- Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Samantha L Thomas
- Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kim Robinson
- School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mike Daube
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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