Alcohol Warning Labels to Reduce Alcohol-related Harm: a Scoping Review Protocol

Objective: This scoping review aims to explore international literature relating to alcohol warning labels as a public health approach for reducing alcohol-related harm.

Introduction: Alcohol-related harm is a global public health issue. More than 200 injuries, diseases and conditions are attributable to alcohol, and almost 6% of all global deaths are related to alcohol consumption.A common approach to raising public awareness of health hazards is product warning labels. Currently, 31 countries or territories have mandated the inclusion of alcohol warning labels on alcoholic beverages. However, research findings on the effectiveness of alcohol warning labeling to reduce alcohol-related harm are mixed and debatable.

Inclusion Criteria: This review will consider studies that focus on alcohol warning labeling (in the form of alcoholic beverage containers, simulated messages displayed on a computer screen or cards shown to participants that depict alcohol warning labels on beverage containers) as a strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm (e.g. drunk driving, violence, drinking while pregnant).

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL and JSTOR will be searched for relevant articles. The search for unpublished studies will utilise Trove and Google Scholar. Studies published in English from 1989 to the present will be considered. Retrieved papers will be screened for inclusion by at least two reviewers. Data will be extracted and presented in tabular form and a narrative summary that align with the review's objective.