Digital Alcohol and Cannabis Ads, Consumption Frequency, and Driving Under the Inﬂuence

Overview

Journal J Stud Alcohol Drugs

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2024 Feb 20

PMID 38376090

Authors

Jonathan K Noel

Samantha R Rosenthal

Zachery C Edwards

Kaiden A Palmieri

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Little is known about the consequences of substance-related advertising on driving under the inﬂuence of alcohol (DUIA) or cannabis (DUIC). This study seeks to estimate associations between substance-related digital advertising exposures and DUIA and DUIC in a sample of young adults.

Method: The Rhode Island Young Adult Survey 2022 was a cross-sectional web-based survey of 1,022 adults ages 18-25 years. Analyses were conducted among lifetime alcohol users ( = 824) and lifetime cannabis users ( = 471). Prevalence of past-30-day digital ad exposure to alcohol and cannabis was assessed, as well as the prevalence of past-month DUIA and DUIC. Multivariable logistic regressions examined the association between digital ad exposure and substance use among lifetime users, and ad exposure and DUI among current users.

Results: In all, 54.4% of participants reported past-30-day exposure to digital alcohol advertising, and 33.5% reported exposure to digital cannabis advertising. Exposure to social media alcohol advertising was associated with higher odds of DUIA after adjustment for sociodemographic variables (odds ratio [95% CI] = 2.14 [1.07, 4.28]) but not after accounting for frequency of use. Odds of DUIC remained signiﬁcantly higher for those exposed to app-based cannabis advertising after adjusting for sociodemographic variables (odds ratio [95% CI] = 4.36 [1.76, 10.8]) and frequency of use (odds ratio [95% CI] = 3.96 [1.53, 10.2]).

Conclusions: Since social media alcohol ad exposure may be indirectly linked with DUIA, and app-based cannabis ad exposure may be directly linked to frequency of use and DUIC, legislators should consider comprehensive substance-related ad regulations and bans.

References

Carlini B, Garrett S, Firth C, Pinsky I . Cannabis Industry Marketing Violations in Washington State, 2014-2019. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2022; 83(1):18-26. View

Buchanan L, Kelly B, Yeatman H, Kariippanon K . The Effects of Digital Marketing of Unhealthy Commodities on Young People: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2018; 10(2). PMC: 5852724. DOI: 10.3390/nu10020148. View

Ghassemlou S, Marini C, Chemi C, Ranjit Y, Tofighi B . Harmful smartphone applications promoting alcohol and illicit substance use: a review and content analysis in the United States. Transl Behav Med. 2020; 10(5):1233-1242. PMC: 7899440. DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibz135. View

West J, Burt K, Klemperer E, Chen H, Villanti A . Latent Classes of Perceived Addictiveness Predict Marijuana, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use in Youth and Young Adults. Subst Use Misuse. 2023; 58(3):454-464. PMC: 10227722. DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2167497. View

Noel J, Babor T . Does industry self-regulation protect young people from exposure to alcohol marketing? A review of compliance and complaint studies. Addiction. 2016; 112 Suppl 1:51-56. DOI: 10.1111/add.13432. View

Hingson R, Zha W, Smyth D . Magnitude and Trends in Heavy Episodic Drinking, Alcohol-Impaired Driving, and Alcohol-Related Mortality and Overdose Hospitalizations Among Emerging Adults of College Ages 18-24 in the United States, 1998-2014. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2017; 78(4):540-548. PMC: 5551659. DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2017.78.540. View

Fiala S, Dilley J, Everson E, Firth C, Maher J . Youth Exposure to Marijuana Advertising in Oregon's Legal Retail Marijuana Market. Prev Chronic Dis. 2020; 17:E110. PMC: 7553221. DOI: 10.5888/pcd17.190206. View

Levy N, Mauro P, Mauro C, Segura L, Martins S . Joint perceptions of the risk and availability of Cannabis in the United States, 2002-2018. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021; 226:108873. PMC: 8478130. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108873. View

Critchlow N, MacKintosh A, Hooper L, Thomas C, Vohra J . Participation with alcohol marketing and user-created promotion on social media, and the association with higher-risk alcohol consumption and brand identification among adolescents in the UK. Addict Res Theory. 2019; 27(6):515-526. PMC: 6636897. DOI: 10.1080/16066359.2019.1567715. View

10.

Esser M, Leung G, Sherk A, Bohm M, Liu Y, Lu H . Estimated Deaths Attributable to Excessive Alcohol Use Among US Adults Aged 20 to 64 Years, 2015 to 2019. JAMA Netw Open. 2022; 5(11):e2239485. PMC: 9627409. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.39485. View

11.

Allen J, Farrelly M, Duke J, Kamyab K, Nonnemaker J, Wylie S . Perceptions of the relative harmfulness of marijuana and alcohol among adults in Oregon. Prev Med. 2018; 109:34-38. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.01.001. View

12.

Salas-Wright C, Cano M, Hai A, Oh S, Vaughn M . Prevalence and Correlates of Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis in the U.S. Am J Prev Med. 2021; 60(6):e251-e260. PMC: 8154651. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.01.021. View

13.

Saul C, Lange S, Probst C . Employment Status and Alcohol-Attributable Mortality Risk-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(12). PMC: 9224380. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19127354. View

14.

Waddell J . Age-varying time trends in cannabis- and alcohol-related risk perceptions 2002-2019. Addict Behav. 2021; 124:107091. PMC: 10284276. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107091. View

15.

Kim Y, Vera L, Huang J, Emery S . Marijuana Content on Digital Media and Marijuana Use among Young People in the United States. Cannabis. 2022; 5(2):74-84. PMC: 9629662. DOI: 10.26828/cannabis/2022.02.007. View

16.

Noel J, Babor T, Robaina K . Industry self-regulation of alcohol marketing: a systematic review of content and exposure research. Addiction. 2016; 112 Suppl 1:28-50. DOI: 10.1111/add.13410. View

17.

Wilks J, Vardanega A, Callan V . Effect of television advertising of alcohol on alcohol consumption and intentions to drive. Drug Alcohol Rev. 1992; 11(1):15-21. DOI: 10.1080/09595239200185031. View

18.

Moreno M, Gower A, Jenkins M, Kerr B, Gritton J . Marijuana promotions on social media: adolescents' views on prevention strategies. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2018; 13(1):23. PMC: 6027581. DOI: 10.1186/s13011-018-0152-7. View

19.

DAmico E, Rodriguez A, Tucker J, Pedersen E, Shih R . Planting the seed for marijuana use: Changes in exposure to medical marijuana advertising and subsequent adolescent marijuana use, cognitions, and consequences over seven years. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2018; 188:385-391. PMC: 6744951. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.03.031. View

20.

Simmons S, Caird J, Sterzer F, Asbridge M . The effects of cannabis and alcohol on driving performance and driver behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction. 2022; 117(7):1843-1856. DOI: 10.1111/add.15770. View