Prioritising research on marketing and consumption of No and Low (NoLo) alcoholic beverages in Ireland

Abstract

Advertising of zero/no and low-strength (NoLo) alcohol brands is becoming increasingly common in Ireland, but empirical research to determine their impact is lacking. Although the Public Health (Alcohol) Act (2018) prohibits advertising alcohol on or within 200 m of buses, trains, schools and playgrounds, the alcohol industry advertises NoLo products in these spaces using similar iconography and brand identifiers of parent brands. This article highlights evidence regarding the industry's roles in the frequent promotion of NoLo brands in Ireland, recommending areas for future research. While NoLo products and advertisements are becoming common in Ireland, recently, the alcohol industry invested €30 million to double NoLo's production capacity. Given the available evidence elsewhere, we argue that doubling the production capacity serves the alcohol industry's interests, not public health interests, as it misleadingly claims because it will increase alcogenic environments and exposure to more marketing campaigns and normalise alcohol consumption. We urge the Minister of Health to take responsibility for effectively interpreting and implementing the Public Health Act to ban NoLo advertising in spaces where full-strength beverage advertisements are prohibited. We conclude by recommending key areas for urgent research focusing on, but not limited to, the perceptions and consumption of NoLo among different populations, including those who drink harmfully or are in recovery and the impact of marketing and availability of NoLo on alcohol initiation and consumption among young people. This will help generate robust evidence to inform the public, improve public health, and implement policies that curtail alcohol corporations’ health-damaging activities in Ireland.