Alcohol imagery on popularly viewed television in the UK.
BACKGROUND
Exposure to alcohol consumption and product imagery in films is associated with increased alcohol consumption among young people, but the extent to which exposure also occurs through television is not clear. We have measured the occurrence of alcohol imagery in prime-time broadcasting on UK free-to-air television channels.


METHODS
Occurrence of alcohol imagery (actual use, implied use, brand appearances or other reference to alcohol) was measured in all broadcasting on the five most popular UK television stations between 6 and 10 p.m. during 3 weeks in 2010, by 1-min interval coding.


RESULTS
Alcohol imagery occurred in over 40% of broadcasts, most commonly soap operas, feature films, sport and comedies, and was equally frequent before and after the 9 p.m. watershed. Brand appearances occurred in 21% of programmes, and over half of all sports programmes, a third of soap operas and comedies and a fifth of advertising/trailers. Three brands, Heineken, Budweiser and Carlsberg together accounted for ∼40% of all brand depictions.


CONCLUSIONS
Young people are exposed to frequent alcohol imagery, including branding, in UK prime-time television. It is likely that this exposure has an important effect on alcohol consumption in young people.
UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Community Health Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK.
Ailsa
A
Lyons
Addictions Department, Kings College London, 4 Windsor Walk, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8BB, UK Addictions Department, The UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, Kings College London, 4 Windsor Walk, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8BB, UK.
Ann
A
McNeill
UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Community Health Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK.
John
J
Britton
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D006801:Humans; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom
alcohol; children and young people; media; policy; prevention; public health