Prevention Hub
 

Prevention Update

A unique fortnightly email highlighting articles recently published on the Prevention Hub. Visit preventionhub.org to see more from the international drug prevention world.

Issue 21, 2013

Prevention messages using guilt and shame may sometimes backfire

Research

Here's more evidence on possible unintended effects of prevention messages. A series of US studies investigated how young people already sensitive to guilt and shame responded to anti-alcohol adverts playing on these emotions. Mike Ashton points out the difficulty of generalising from the results, partly due to the specific experimental settings and content, but the findings do fit with previous work we have covered in suggesting that messages need to be targeted very carefully in order to avoid unintended results. For example, when faced by uncomfortable personal emotions about drinking, some viewers might defend their state of mind by convincing themselves that the message doesn't apply to them. On the other hand, messages asking viewers to think about the behaviour of others might work, as in the popular US public service message, 'Friends don't let friends drive drunk'. Negative prevention messages may also be improved by including a positive outcome - both 'carrot and stick'.

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Alcohol promoted to young people in hit pop songs

Research

Following our article in Issue 19, we were interested to read reports about parallel research from Liverpool John Moores University showing how pop songs are increasingly glamorising alcohol and encouraging more children and young people to drink. 19% of UK Top Ten pop songs in 2011 contained references to alcohol – up from just 8% in 2001, promoting, 'excessive drinking and risky antisocial behaviour' which may be seen as normal behaviour within teenage culture. Alcohol was most commonly mentioned in American pop songs and those from the rap and R&B genres. Interestingly, references were much less frequent in 1981 and actually declined in 1991 during the 'rave' years and high profile of ecstasy. The authors highlight US trends towards the positive connotations of alcohol consumption and brand references in pop lyrics. Although not yet common in the UK and elsewhere, American pop stars are increasingly associated with alcohol marketing. This influence is likely to increase wherever US pop is growing in popularity and wherever music is viewed on social media sites such as YouTube, often directly linked with alcohol advertising. The trend could thus develop worldwide.

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Teens support plain packaging of cigarettes

Policy

Here's an interesting comparison of teenage views on tobacco packaging in Australia and the UK. Whereas Australia has uniform plain brown packaging with simple brand names and graphic health warnings, plain packaging proposals in the UK were dropped amidst heated political controversy. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) survey of 13-18-year-olds in the UK and Australia found that only 36% of UK teenagers sampled were deterred by current packs compared to 48% in Australia. Teenage support for such plain packaging was also strong, 77% in UK and 59% in Australia. 'Worryingly', the BHF also reported that 10% of British teenagers thought some cigarette brands were healthier than others - double the percentage of their Australian counterparts. A cross-party group in the UK House of Lords is currently pressing the Conservative led Coalition Government to re-introduce the measures. In a related packaging story, the Irish Health Minister is defying a massive campaign and legal threat from the tobacco industry regarding the introduction of plain tobacco packaging.

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10 studies highlight huge impact of online alcohol advertising on young people

Research

This recent review of latest research highlights the huge immediate and longer term impact of online alcohol marketing on young people. It can result in drinking larger quantities, drinking at an earlier age, drinking more frequently and binge drinking. One study found that the effect of online alcohol advertising was almost twice as strong as that of traditional marketing. Two others highlight the informal influence of social media where young people see intoxicated friends and where drinking is perceived as the norm. Furthermore, such marketing and informal influences are largely unregulated or only self-regulated by the alcohol and advertising industries. We have covered many other studies emphasing these problems and the particular vulnerability of young people. The research findings will be discussed online at The European Centre for Monitoring Alcohol Marketing online conference, October 31st.

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Research on multiple substance use has implications for prevention

Research

This research into risk factors for individual and multiple substance abuse by teenagers has important implications for prevention work. Professor Daniel Hale from University College London underlined the strong connections between different risky behaviours, such as the link between smoking and drinking in young females. Among his conclusions Professor Hale says, 'intervening by having an impact on factors common to all types of substance use such as self-esteem, school connectedness, propensity for risk may be more effective and efficient than attempting to change substance-specific knowledge and attitudes'. However, due to the connections between factors, interventions successfully reducing use of one substance are also likely to change multiple substance use behaviours. The findings should help identify young individuals at risk and aid development of effective interventions to reduce multiple substance use.

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Ecstasy may affect both mothers and infants

Research

In this study American and British researchers examined young women who used ecstasy whilst pregnant and found a range of worrying effects the drug may have on both young mothers and their offspring. Use of ecstasy may affect the gender of a foetus, increasing the likelihood of a male baby. The drug was also found to adversely affect a baby's development, including motor control and hand-eye coordination. The study assessed children at four and twelve months, but the authors refer to potential long-term effects on memory, learning capacity, and emotional development. Furthermore, women who used ecstasy during pregnancy were found to have experienced more health, work, and social problems than other mothers in the sample.

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Timing of prevention work should be determined by an adolescent's personality

Research

This longitudinal study suggests that alcohol misuse prevention programmes are better targeted according to individual personality traits rather than relying on interventions for all. Over 600 Australian students, mean age 13 years, were assessed for externalising symptoms (e.g. impulsivity, sensation seeking) and internalising symptoms (e.g. negative thinking, anxiety, sensitivity) as both of these traits have been strongly linked with alcohol abuse in adulthood. Researchers found that those children with externalising traits were indeed more likely to abuse alcohol in early adolescence, 13 to 15 years of age. In contrast, those with internalising traits were at no more risk than their peers aged 13-15, but more at risk in later adolescence. The findings have important implications for the timing of early intervention programmes.

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'Shameful' retreat or 'positive' compromise? Europe tackles tobacco

Policy

Amidst the most intense lobbying many can recall, the European Parliament voted on proposals to reduce the massive health impact of tobacco, and reduce its attractiveness to young people. Menthol and other flavoured cigarettes will disappear, together with smaller cigarette packs of ten, both being popular with young people. Health warnings will become larger, packaging looking like lipstick or perfume containers will be banned and misleading labels such as 'light', 'mild' and 'low tar' will go. However, 'unprecedented' lobbying appears to have been successful in seriously watering down some proposals. For example, health warnings will only cover 65% of cigarette packs, plain packaging is not on the agenda, the menthol ban will be delayed for at least five years, smaller packs of rolling tobacco and slimline cigarettes remain available, and all the measures must still be negotiated with individual states for future implementation. Much attention was devoted to e-cigarettes. Proposals to classify these as pharmaceutical products were defeated but some restrictions were placed on advertising. Debate continues as to whether e-cigarettes pose an unknown risk and gateway to tobacco or a revolutionary aid for smokers to quit. Individual countries currently have very different approaches. It is estimated that around 700,000 people die from tobacco related illnesses every year in Europe.

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