The public are ‘blameworthy’ for their own alcohol-related health issues, according to a new IAS report looking into how the public health initiatives use nudge theory’s principles to frame actions and attitudes.

‘Nudge theory and alcohol policy – how nudge frames drinkers and industry’ also found alcohol industry actors were framed as ‘reliable’, with any who engage in behaviour harmful to public health described as outliers.

The report concludes that such framing risks intensifying the clouding of economic or societal drivers of public health problems through nudge policies, as identified in prior research, and might undermine support for better evidenced public health alcohol measures, such as pricing interventions.

The report accompanies an online seminar (02 December, 3PM GMT) discussing nudge policy and its place in alcohol policy. Chaired by Dr Gillian Shorter, the seminar will include a presentation of the report’s findings from author, research and policy officer Lucy Bryant, research from Mark Petticrew, and new insights from the gambling field from Philip Newall PhD.

You can follow IAS on Twitter for live coverage of the event using the hashtag #alcoholnudge.