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Public attitudes towards alcohol control policies in Scotland and England: Results from a mixed-methods study

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  • Li, Jessica
  • Lovatt, Melanie
  • Eadie, Douglas
  • Dobbie, Fiona
  • Meier, Petra
  • Holmes, John
  • Hastings, Gerard
  • MacKintosh, Anne Marie

Abstract

The harmful effects of heavy drinking on health have been widely reported, yet public opinion on governmental responsibility for alcohol control remains divided. This study examines UK public attitudes towards alcohol policies, identifies underlying dimensions that inform these, and relationships with perceived effectiveness. A cross-sectional mixed methods study involving a telephone survey of 3477 adult drinkers aged 16–65 and sixteen focus groups with 89 adult drinkers in Scotland and England was conducted between September 2012 and February 2013. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to reduce twelve policy statements into underlying dimensions. These dimensions were used in linear regression models examining alcohol policy support by demographics, drinking behaviour and perceptions of UK drinking and government responsibility. Findings were supplemented with a thematic analysis of focus group transcripts. A majority of survey respondents supported all alcohol policies, although the level of support varied by type of policy. Greater enforcement of laws on under-age sales and more police patrolling the streets were strongly supported while support for pricing policies and restricting access to alcohol was more divided. PCA identified four main dimensions underlying support on policies: alcohol availability, provision of health information and treatment services, alcohol pricing, and greater law enforcement. Being female, older, a moderate drinker, and holding a belief that government should do more to reduce alcohol harms were associated with higher support on all policy dimensions. Focus group data revealed findings from the survey may have presented an overly positive level of support on all policies due to differences in perceived policy effectiveness. Perceived effectiveness can help inform underlying patterns of policy support and should be considered in conjunction with standard measures of support in future research on alcohol control policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Jessica & Lovatt, Melanie & Eadie, Douglas & Dobbie, Fiona & Meier, Petra & Holmes, John & Hastings, Gerard & MacKintosh, Anne Marie, 2017. "Public attitudes towards alcohol control policies in Scotland and England: Results from a mixed-methods study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 177-189.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:177:y:2017:i:c:p:177-189
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.037
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pechey, Rachel & Burge, Peter & Mentzakis, Emmanouil & Suhrcke, Marc & Marteau, Theresa M., 2014. "Public acceptability of population-level interventions to reduce alcohol consumption: A discrete choice experiment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 104-109.
    2. Wallin, Eva & Andreasson, Sven, 2005. "Public opinion on alcohol service at licensed premises: a population survey in Stockholm, Sweden 1999-2000," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(3), pages 265-278, June.
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    2. Andrea Pastor & Irene Molina de la Fuente & María Sandín Vázquez & Paloma Conde & Marina Bosque-Prous & Manuel Franco & Niamh Shortt & Xisca Sureda, 2020. "Availability, Promotion, and Signs of Alcohol Consumption: A Mixed Methods Study of Perceived Exposure and Objective Measures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-17, November.
    3. Singh, Renu, 2023. "Priming COVID-19's consequences can increase support for investments in public health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).
    4. Carolin Kilian & Jakob Manthey & Jacek Moskalewicz & Janusz Sieroslawski & Jürgen Rehm, 2019. "How Attitudes toward Alcohol Policies Differ across European Countries: Evidence from the Standardized European Alcohol Survey (SEAS)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-13, November.
    5. Ashini Weerasinghe & Nour Schoueri-Mychasiw & Kate Vallance & Tim Stockwell & David Hammond & Jonathan McGavock & Thomas K. Greenfield & Catherine Paradis & Erin Hobin, 2020. "Improving Knowledge that Alcohol Can Cause Cancer is Associated with Consumer Support for Alcohol Policies: Findings from a Real-World Alcohol Labelling Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-16, January.
    6. Reynolds, J.P. & Archer, S. & Pilling, M. & Kenny, M. & Hollands, G.J. & Marteau, T.M., 2019. "Public acceptability of nudging and taxing to reduce consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and food: A population-based survey experiment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 1-1.
    7. Elena Gervilla & Zara Quigg & Mariàngels Duch & Montse Juan & Clarisse Guimarães, 2020. "Adolescents’ Alcohol Use in Botellon and Attitudes towards Alcohol Use and Prevention Policies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-10, May.
    8. Reynolds, J.P. & Pilling, M. & Marteau, T.M., 2018. "Communicating quantitative evidence of policy effectiveness and support for the policy: Three experimental studies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 1-12.

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