Experts are warning Australians not to be conned by dodgy alcohol marketing this festive season, as new research released today by The George Institute for Global Health reveals consumers are up to three times more likely to think alcoholic drinks with sugar- or carb-related claims are 'healthy' compared to those without.1 The effect was strongest in younger drinkers (18-24), potentially offsetting recent gains in reducing harmful levels of drinking in this age group.
The results of the new national survey come as government regulators review a growing body of evidence showing consumers' views are influenced by nutrition claims. Promoting sugar and/or carb levels on premix, cider, beer, spirit and wine products is an increasingly common practice on products targeted at younger drinkers, as the industry tries to counter declining use in this group.2
"When it comes to alcohol, there is no such thing as a healthy option. That's why it's important to ensure that product marketing doesn't make it seem healthier than it really is," said Dr Alexandra Jones, Food Governance Program Lead at The George Institute for Global Health, and Conjoint Senior Lecturer at UNSW Sydney.
"Given the sophisticated marketing tactics the alcohol industry deploys to promote low sugar or low carbohydrate levels on labelling and in multimillion-dollar, multi-channel advertising campaigns, it's easy to see how consumers are persuaded these products are healthier options.
"But no matter how pretty the packaging, the alcohol inside is still a much more serious health concern than the small amount of sugar or carbohydrates involved," said Dr Jones. "The irony is that alcohol itself is higher in calories than sugar or carbs."
The aim of the policy review is to consider whether to explicitly allow the alcohol industry to use sugar claims, in addition to carbohydrate claims, which are currently allowed but are leading to misperceptions about the healthiness of alcohol.
The research involved first showing participants images of mock products with no sugar or carb claims followed by the same products displaying common sugar and carb claims, in styles mimicking real-world labels, to compare resulting perceptions of 'healthiness'.
The results found that respondents were more likely to view alcohol as a healthy option when packaging displayed low-sugar or low-carbohydrate claims:
- Those who first viewed products without sugar claims were three times more likely to consider them to be healthy when low or zero sugar claims were added
- Respondents who first saw products without carbohydrate claims were twice as likely to consider them healthy after seeing the same products with low or zero carb claims
- These effects were 1.5 times stronger among younger respondents (18-24 years) than older respondents (25 years and over)
The World Health Organization states there is no safe level of alcohol consumption when it comes to health.3 It is classed as a Group 1 carcinogen (or cancer-causing compound) alongside asbestos, radiation and tobacco.3 Alcohol is a proven risk factor for seven cancers including mouth, throat, breast, liver and bowel, and is responsible for around 3,500 new cancer cases in Australia per year.4,5
Alcohol use can also lead to heart attack and stroke, is associated with anxiety and depression, and can disrupt sleep patterns.6,7,8,9 Alcohol interferes with the effects of medicines and prolonged use can have long-term effects on brain function, including memory.10,11 In addition, links between alcohol and violence are well understood.12
Public health groups are concerned that when industry uses nutrition claims, they downplay the harms caused by alcohol for individuals and communities, and mislead people into thinking it's just a regular consumer product.
"This survey and other recent research by Cancer Council add to increasing evidence that nutrition claims on alcohol can mislead consumers into thinking products that bear claims are healthier and less harmful to health. This is concerning given we know alcohol products contribute to significant harms in Australia," commented Natalie Stapleton APD, Executive Officer, Alcohol Change Australia. "We are concerned that expressly permitting sugar claims and continuing to permit carbohydrate claims will encourage industry to ramp up this type of marketing."
Dr Jones said removing claims with demonstrated potential to mislead consumers would strengthen Australia's approach to preventing alcohol-related harm and would be consistent with guidance in the National Alcohol Strategy and National Preventive Health Strategy.
"Australia and New Zealand's food regulatory agency (FSANZ) is currently considering proposals that would allow low sugar claims on labels and in associated marketing of alcoholic products," she said.
"We're calling on Australia's food regulators to urgently reconsider the proposal and prevent consumers from being further misled."
About the survey
A national sample of 1,356 Australian adults aged 18+ years who consumed alcohol at least twice per month responded to an online survey between 3-21 October 2024. Respondents were recruited via an ISO-accredited panel provider (Pureprofile). The survey looked at perceptions of the healthiness of alcoholic products across premix, cider, beer, spirits and wine categories.
References:
- Yusoff A, Sträuli B, Jongenelis M, Bowden J, Bartram A, Brownbill A, Jones A, Norris C, Stafford J, O'Brien P, Pettigrew S. Sugar and carbohydrate claims affect perceptions of alcohol healthiness. Report by The George Institute for Global Health, November 2024
- National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023: Young people's consumption of alcohol - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. World Health Organisation news release July 2023
- Anderson, Benjamin O et al. Health and cancer risks associated with low levels of alcohol consumption. The Lancet Public Health, Volume 8, Issue 1, e6 - e7
- Alcohol and cancer - Cancer Council
- Key statistics: Risk factors for cardiovascular disease | Heart Foundation
- Alcohol Intake as a Risk Factor for Acute Stroke | Neurology
- Alcohol, Depression, and Anxiety | SpringerLink
- Association between alcohol consumption and sleep traits: observational and mendelian randomization studies in the UK biobank | Molecular Psychiatry
- Alcohol and Medication Interactions - PMC
- Alcohol and the Brain: An Overview | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023: Alcohol related harms and risks in the NDSHS - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
