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Introduction: 'Count your drinks' is a protective behavioural strategy (PBS) that has been found to be effective in reducing alcohol consumption. Previous research has shown that females, older people and low‐risk drinkers are more likely to use this strategy, but little is known about the attitudinal factors associated with engaging in drink counting. This information is important for developing effective interventions to encourage use of this PBS. The aim of this paper was to assess whether the following attitudinal factors are associated with frequency of enactment of the 'Count your drinks' PBS: (i) perceived ease of use; (ii) perceived effectiveness; (iii) personal relevance; and (iv) believability. Methods: A total of 683 Australian drinkers completed an online survey assessing demographic variables, alcohol consumption, frequency of drink counting and attitudes to the 'Count your drinks' PBS. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to determine whether the attitudinal factors were associated with frequency of enactment after controlling for demographic and alcohol‐related factors. Results: Attitudes to the 'Count your drinks' PBS accounted for 28% of the variance in reported frequency of drink counting. Perceptions of personal relevance, ease of use and effectiveness were found to be significantly associated with frequency of enactment. Discussion and Conclusions: Interventions designed to encourage drinkers to count their drinks should aim to increase the perceived personal relevance, ease of use and effectiveness of this strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between alcohol marketing and consumer socialization to alcohol brands (assessed here using aided and unaided brand recognition and brand saliency), and the associated relationship between consumer socialization and hazardous alcohol consumption among a cohort of adolescents surveyed in Scotland. The research addresses gaps in the consumer socialization literature, by examining how marketing influences brand consumer socialization, and how brand consumer socialization influences subsequent hazardous consumption behavior over time, using a robust longitudinal design that assesses causal relationships while controlling for a wide range of important confounding variables. The results demonstrate the contribution of marketing to adolescents' brand socialization to alcohol and the impact of this socialization on subsequent drinking behaviors. Implications for marketing managers, parents, policymakers, and consumer researchers are discussed, together with suggestions for future consumer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To explore how the concept of lay epidemiology can enhance understandings of how drinkers make sense of current UK drinking guidelines. Methods Qualitative study using 12 focus groups in four sites in northern England and four sites in central Scotland. Participants were 66 male and female drinkers, aged between 19 and 65 years, of different socio-economic backgrounds. Data were analysed thematically using a conceptual framework of lay epidemiology. Results Current drinking guidelines were perceived as having little relevance to participants' drinking behaviours and were generally disregarded. Daily guidelines were seen as irrelevant by drinkers whose drinking patterns comprised heavy weekend drinking. The amounts given in the guidelines were seen as unrealistic for those motivated to drink for intoxication, and participants measured alcohol intake in numbers of drinks or containers rather than units. Participants reported moderating their drinking, but this was out of a desire to fulfil work and family responsibilities, rather than concerns for their own health. The current Australian and Canadian guidelines were preferred to UK guidelines, as they were seen to address many of the above problems. Conclusions Drinking guidelines derived from, and framed within, solely epidemiological paradigms lack relevance for adult drinkers who monitor and moderate their alcohol intake according to their own knowledge and risk perceptions derived primarily from experience. Insights from lay epidemiology into how drinkers regulate and monitor their drinking should be used in the construction of drinking guidelines to enhance their credibility and efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006, Drinkaware was established as a charity in the United Kingdom following a memorandum of understanding between the Portman Group and various UK government agencies. This debate piece briefly reviews the international literature on industry social aspects organizations, examines the nature of Drinkaware's activities and considers how the public health community should respond. Although the British addiction field and the wider public health community have distanced themselves from the Portman Group, they have not done so from Drinkaware, even though Drinkaware was devised by the Portman Group to serve industry interests. Both long-standing and more recent developments indicate very high levels of industry influence on British alcohol policy, and Drinkaware provides one mechanism of influence. We suggest that working with, and for, industry bodies such as Drinkaware helps disguise fundamental conflicts of interest and serves only to legitimize corporate efforts to promote partnership as a means of averting evidence-based alcohol policies. We invite vigorous debate on these internationally significant issues and propose that similar industry bodies should be carefully studied in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper describes a new multicountry collaborative project to assess the impact of alcohol control policy. Longitudinal surveys of drinkers in a number of participating countries and analysis of the policy context allow for the assessment of change over time within countries and comparison between countries. The design of the study is modeled on the International Tobacco Control study and aims to assess the impact of alcohol policies in different cultural contexts on policy-related behaviors and alcohol consumption. A survey instrument and protocol for policy analysis have been developed by the initial participating countries: England, Scotland, Thailand, South Korea, and New Zealand. The first round of data collection is scheduled for 2011-2012. Measurements: The survey instrument (International Alcohol Control [ IAC] survey) measures key policy relevant behaviors: place and time of purchase, amounts purchased and price paid; ease of access to alcohol purchase; alcohol marketing measures; social supply; perceptions of alcohol affordability and availability and salience of price; perceptions of enforcement; people's experiences with specific alcohol restrictions; support for policy and consumption (typical quantity, frequency using beverage and location-specific measures). The Policy Analysis Protocol ( PoLAP) assesses relevant aspects of the policy environment including regulation and implementation. Results: It has proved feasible to design instruments to collect detailed data on behaviors relevant to alcohol policy change and to assess the policy environment in different cultural settings. Conclusions: In a policy arena in which the interest groups and stakeholders have different perceptions of appropriate policy responses to alcohol-related harm, a robust methodology to assess the impact of policy will contribute to the debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim This paper examines how smokers' beliefs about 'light/mild' cigarettes in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom were affected by the removal of misleading 'light/mild' terms from packs. Design, setting and participants The data come from the first seven waves (2002-09) of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Four-Country Survey, an annual cohort telephone survey of adult smokers in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia (21 613 individual cases). 'Light' and 'mild' descriptors were removed in 2003 in the United Kingdom, in 2006 in Australia and in 2007 in Canada. We compare beliefs about 'light' cigarettes both before and after the bans, with those of smokers in the United States serving as the control condition. Measures Smokers' beliefs about 'light' cigarettes were assessed using a set of statements rated on a five-point 'agree'-'disagree' scale. Findings The proportions of respondents reporting misperceptions about light cigarettes declined between 2002 and 2009 in all four countries. There were marked temporary reductions in reported misperceptions in the United Kingdom and Australia, but not in Canada, following the removal of 'light/mild' descriptors. Conclusions Removal of 'light/mild' descriptors and tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yield information from cigarette packs is insufficient to effectively eliminate false beliefs. The combination of alternative descriptors and design features that produce differences in taste strength and harshness, independent of actual intakes, are sufficient to produce or sustain the same misbeliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The social norms approach suggests that tobacco use among a referent population will reduce provided they are presented with accurate information about the perceived norms of that behaviour. This study investigated adolescents'' perceived tobacco-related norms on future smoking intentions, using a sample of 11–16 year olds (n = 804) from wave two of the Youth Tobacco Policy Survey. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse, simultaneously, the hypothesized normative model on future smoking intentions among both adolescent smokers and never smokers. While among adolescent smokers perceived prevalence, perceptions of the tobacco industry and risk from smoking were associated with future smoking intentions, among never smokers only perceived sibling approval was associated with future smoking intentions. The research highlights the need for more comprehensive anti-tobacco related campaigns that incorporate messages and stimuli relevant to behaviour reflecting these normative types. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• As the influence of alcohol marketing on young people remains a highly contested topic we review the recent literature to examine if the debate has moved on. The extant literature shows that while many econometric studies suggest alcohol marketing to have a minimal effect on youth alcohol consumption, more focussed consumer studies, particularly recent research employing sophisticated longitudinal designs, demonstrate clear links between alcohol advertising and drinking behaviour. Encouragingly, some of the more recent research studies assess marketing activity beyond advertising; sponsorship, new media, viral marketing, price promotions, new forms of distribution, product development and increased point of sale activity. The literature presents increasingly compelling evidence that alcohol marketing is directly impacting upon young people's drinking behaviour. The implications of this on the current policy debate surrounding alcohol marketing activities and regulation in the UK and beyond are discussed. Furthermore a research agenda for alcohol marketing for the future is offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study investigates the continuing effects of tobacco marketing communications in a post advertising era, focusing on the constructs of brand awareness, brand image, attitude formation and intention to smoke by adolescents. • A conceptual model is presented, based on 926 respondents from a UK wide study, to assess brand-related interrelationships and influences of peers on adolescents' attitudes toward smoking and intention to smoke. • Results show the strong influence of branding on both attitude and intention, and have implications for government anti-smoking policies specifically in regard to generic packaging and point of sale displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper explores the effectiveness of cigarette warning labels across two countries, one (the UK) with new and stricter legislation where text based labels have been made more prominent and one (the USA) with less stringent regulation, where labels are less visible. Using longitudinal data from the two counties, the research seeks to investigate the impact of the different types of warning labels on the information processing by consumers. This paper assesses the effectiveness of warning labels in terms of: consumer attention, elaboration, contemplation on quitting and behavioural compliance. This study provides a comprehensive examination of these key factors in a fixed causal sequence. Structural equation modelling was used to test this model based on longitudinal panel survey data from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey. Analysis of a sample of 901 US smokers and 1459 UK smokers yielded results in full support of all hypothesised relationships in the model proposed for both countries. Findings suggest that the new European lotion policy of more prominent warning labels has a direct effect on influencing behavioural compliance by smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To explore compliance with the smoke-free legislation within a cross-section of community bars in Scotland. Design Ethnographic case study combining unobtrusive observation and in-depth interviews conducted pre- and post-introduction. Setting Eight Scottish community bars in three contrasting study communities. Participants Ten bar proprietors, 16 bar workers and 44 customers. Measurements Observations and participant reports of compliance over the first 12 months of the smoking ban. Findings All eight study bars endeavoured to enforce the ban, but with varying enthusiasm. Compliance varied, with violations more prevalent in those bars serving deprived communities. Most violations occurred in peripheral areas and generally went unchallenged. Six bars reported some form of complicit behaviour with staff and customers smoking together, either in the entrance area or during ‘lock-ins’ when access to the bar was restricted to regular customers. Three factors were particularly important to explaining variance between bars: smoking norms, management competency and management attitudes towards the ban. The first and last were related to social disadvantage. Conclusions Official data provide only a crude assessment of compliance in licensed premises. Data from this study offer a detailed picture of the nature and levels of compliance, and suggest a need for more sophisticated surveillance methods, greater enforcement and use of prosecutions where merited, and targeted support for bars serving deprived communities to help ensure that the major gains already achieved are retained and built upon. It is also suggested that acceptance of the smoke-free legislation could be enhanced by complementary initiatives targeting support to smokers in deprived communities. Those planning to introduce smoke-free legislation need to set in place these measures in advance in order to realize the benefits of full compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In recent years, the marketing practices of the pharmaceutical industry have been subject to scrutiny and criticism. In the UK, prescription-only (PO) medicines cannot be marketed directly to the public, and marketing to health professionals is self-regulated by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's (ABPI) Code of Practice. • This study uses internal document analyses to examine the effectiveness of this regulatory framework. Specifically, a qualitative analysis was conducted of internal marketing documents from five UK pharmaceutical companies which were obtained by the House of Commons Health Committee. This analysis suggests that major pharmaceutical companies are contravening the ABPI Code in four key areas. • The authors conclude that the current system is not effectively regulating the marketing of PO medicines to the general public or health professionals in the UK and suggest that the Code and indeed the whole regulatory procedure needs a thorough review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article criticizes the predominant use of fear appeals in social marketing. Laboratory studies, which have been the basis for most of the research on fear appeals and which generally suggest that high fear works, have limitations that include forced exposure, short-term measurement, and an overdependence on student samples. Although, unfortunately, field research evaluations of fear appeals are few, they usually reveal that fear has both weaker effects and unintended deleterious effects in real-world social marketing campaigns. Ethical concerns about fear appeals include maladaptive responses such as chronic heightened anxiety among those most at risk and, paradoxically, complacency among those not directly targeted, and increased social inequity between those who respond to fear campaigns, who tend to be better off, and those who do not, who tend to be the less educated and poorer members of society. Alternatives to fear appeals are the use of positive reinforcement appeals aimed at the good behavior, the use of humor, and, for younger audiences, the use of postmodern irony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the marketing of alcohol to young people in the United Kingdom, but the lessons that emerge have international significance. Alcohol is a global enterprise and recent consolidation means that it is controlled by a decreasing number of expanding multi-nationals. Alcohol companies are able to allocate significant resources to researching consumer preferences, developing new products and promoting them on an international level. Recent years have seen a growth in the value that youth culture attaches to brand labels and symbols and a move away from the healthy-living ethos. The alcohol industry's response to these trends has been to design alcoholic beverages that appeal to young people, using well-informed and precisely targeted marketing strategies. This has led to growing concerns about the implications for public health and a demand for tighter controls to regulate alcohol marketing practices. In the United Kingdom, controls on alcohol are piecemeal and reactive and the current system of voluntary regulation appears ineffective. This paper argues for more research to establish current industry practice and inform the development of a comprehensive regulatory structure and system of monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses a report published by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine which examined the effectiveness of a public-private partnership between the British government and the alcohol industry which found the Responsibility Deals did not help improve public health.

A response from the authors of the article "Be aware of Drinkaware" which was published in a previous issue is presented.

The authors discuss tobacco control and alcohol policy in Great Britain. Topics discussed include the minimum unit pricing of alcohol and tobacco (MUP), the Responsibility Deal approach and its relation to public health policy, and the alcohol strategy of the British government. It also discusses how the alcohol policy in the country can be rectified.

In this article the authors give their opinions of the article "A Question of Balance: Prioritizing Public health Responses to Harm from Gambling" by P. J. Adams, J. Raeburn and K. De Silva. They are critical of social marketing techniques that are used by multinational corporations to help legitimize and sustain the gambling industry. Also discussed is the impact gambling has on public health.

The article reflects on the potentiality of social marketing to the field of addiction utilizing cases of smoking cessation services concentrating on inequalities. The nature of commerce has been altered by prioritizing customers and their social and health behavior. Meanwhile, smoking cessation treatment is considered a product worthy of marketing.