Can a health warning label diminish the persuasive effects of health-oriented nutrition advertising on ready-to-drink alcohol product packaging? A randomized experiment.

Background and Aims: A health warning label (HWL) cautioning about the link between alcohol and cancer may be able to communicate alcohol risks to consumers and potentially counter health-oriented nutrition advertising on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages. This study aimed to examine the independent and combined effects of nutrient content claims (e.g. 0 g sugar) and a HWL on perceived product characteristics and intentions to consume, and whether these effects differed by gender and age.
Design: A between-subjects randomized experiment. Participants were randomized to view one of six experimental label conditions: nutrient content claims plus nutrition declaration (NCC + ND), ND only, NCC + ND + HWL, ND + HWL, HWL only and no NCC, ND or HWL, all on a ready-to-drink (RTD) vodka-based soda container.
Setting and Participants: Alcohol consumers (n = 5063; 52% women) in Canada aged 18-64 recruited through a national online panel.
Measurements: Participants completed ratings of perceived product characteristics, perceived product health risks, and intentions to try, buy, binge and drink the product.
Findings: Compared with the reference condition NCC + ND (current policy scenario in Canada), the other five experimental label conditions were associated with lower ratings for perceiving the product as healthy. All experimental conditions with a HWL were associated with lower product appeal, higher risk perceptions and reduced intentions to try, buy and binge. The experimental condition with a HWL only was associated with intentions to consume fewer cans in the next 7 days (β = -0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.37,-0.08) versus the reference. Few interactions were observed, suggesting that label effects on outcomes were similar by gender and age.
Conclusions: Health warning labels on alcohol packaging appear to be associated with lower product appeal, higher perceived health risks and reduced consumption intentions, even in the presence of nutrient content claims.
(© 2024 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.)