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News

New report on how nudge theory shapes alcohol policy

2nd December 2020

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.

 

Kicking off today’s event, @GWShorter welcomes people to think about how nudge influences behaviours in alcohol policy #alcoholnudge

— IAS (@InstAlcStud) December 2, 2020

More news items
Alcohol harms: a hidden pandemic in the age of COVID-19?
Alcohol deaths – Scotland sees improvements, but pandemic takes its toll

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