Have yourself a ‘merry’ little Christmas: Alcohol adverts and alcohol content within adverts in the run-up to Christmas

Exposure to alcohol adverts or other audio-visual content (AVC) in the media is associated with alcohol initiation and subsequent use by adolescents and adults, especially those with or at risk of an alcohol use disorder. The Christmas period is characterised by increased alcohol consumption and there may be an increase in alcohol advertisements during this period. The current study explored the number of alcohol advertisements shown on UK television in a sample of days in the run-up to Christmas 2022 and found that alcohol advertisements were commonly shown but alcohol was also seen in advertisements for other things such as supermarkets. The amount of alcohol shown is likely to encourage drinking and make Christmas a difficult time for people with alcohol use disorders or who are in recovery.