We have a new paper published that examines features of alcohol advertisements in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. We pilot tested the container-based approach for examining alcohol marketing density. Overall, we found that this was a feasible approach although we also encountered some challenges.
For context, alcohol marketing in Uganda is very aggressive and typically there are really no limitations regarding advertisements as the industry is monitoring itself. As such, to make progress and to protect underage youth from alcohol marketing, we wanted to determine the feasibility of using the container-based approach which is typically used in the US. Access the full open access article here.
This photo, below, was not part of the data collection of alcohol billboards, but clearly represents the challenges of alcohol marketing in a setting like Uganda. We know cartoon characters are very appealing to children and youth, so that is a major concern in this advert as we seek to protect those under the legal drinking age of 18 in Uganda from exposure to alcohol marketing. Additionally, the words, even the name of the alcohol represent some major issues. Alcohol marketing research is very limited across sub-Saharan Africa but it is needed to provide data for intervention strategies as well as recommendations to decision makers.
We hope our research and this publication will garner new interest in alcohol marketing research. If there is interest in collaborations, please reach out to us.
This "Crazy Cock" whisky advert was photographed by Swahn near the Uganda National Museum on a very busy road, in a relatively affluent area of Kampala.
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