Alcohol marketing and retailing: Public opinion and recent policy developments in Canada

Abstract

Recent developments in alcohol policy in Canada, particularly those pertaining to alcohol marketing and retailing, provide the context for this study of public opinion on alcohol policy topics. Three national surveys were conducted in 1989, 1994 and 2004. Respondents to the telephone interviews were sampled by province to be representative of the population aged 15 and older; numbers ranged from 4658 (2004) to 12,155 (1994). The key variables were gender, age group, province, education, drinking pattern and frequency of heavy drinking. Ten questions about alcohol policy were included in the analysis, but not all questions were asked in all 3 years. The logistic regression models contained a year effect, independent variable effect, and a year‐by‐independent variable effect. There was considerable variation in support across policy topics, the rank order being similar from year to year. There was somewhat less support for those items, e.g. higher taxes or fewer outlets, considered to be effective by evaluation studies. A major finding was a decline in support over time. Women, older respondents, and lighter drinkers and abstainers were more likely to be supportive of alcohol control policies. The analyses also revealed interaction between provinces and rate of change in declining support. The authors hypothesize that intensive marketing and retailing of alcohol may be important factors in declining public support. Declining support for alcohol policy is expected to have implications for controlling damage and costs related to increasing alcohol consumption.

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