Are alcohol warnings effective to prevent alcohol misuse? State of the art and research perspectives

Abstract

Many countries use warnings to tackle alcohol misuse. In various countries, these warnings usually take the form of a text-only message displayed on alcohol ads and/or packaging. However in few countries, they are designed on the basis of pictograms or photographs. This article aimsto present an overview of the literature that assessesthe persuasive effectiveness of these warnings (impact on alcoholrisks awareness, intention to reduce harmful use of alcohol orto abstain from alcohol during pregnancy, etc.). Previous research has revealed that although alcohol warning labels are well known and memorised by the public and have a positive impact on alcohol risks
awareness, their effect on people’s intention and behaviour is limited. In addition, the effect of these warnings depends on the characteristics of the target audience (socioeconomic status, consumption patterns, etc.) and warnings’ intrinsic features (content and design, colour, font, size). On the basis of this literature review, this article provides recommendations that aim to improve alcohol warnings’ effectiveness. Furthermore, it also suggests new research ideas and perspectives to help deepen the knowledge on the effect of alcohol warnings.