AN INVESTIGATION OF STUDENTS AWARENESS IN THE 18+ WARNING SIGN ON ALCOHOL ADVERTISEMENTS IN NIGERIA TERTIARY INSTITUTION

Background to the Study

It is possible that alcohol is the substance that is used the most often by teenagers. It is a pervasive poison, and an excessive amount of it in the body may cause damage to almost every organ or system in the human body (Ahn, 2022). Consumption of alcohol comes with the danger of negative health and social effects as a result of intoxication; it is responsible for a variety of social, health, and economic damages that are often more prominent among younger generations (Australian Medical Association, 2012). According to Akompab (2022), the negative effects of drinking an excessive amount of alcohol include an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer, liver cancer, murder, epilepsy, and cirrhosis of the liver, among other conditions.

In Nigeria, alcohol consumption in the last few decades was mostly utilized during ceremonies for the purpose of providing entertainment; however, in modern times, both the amount and the cause for consumption are undergoing fast transformation (Al-Hamdani, 2021). The growing popularity of alcohol use among young people in Nigeria today is one factor that contributes to the country's position as one of the top thirty nations worldwide in terms of the amount of alcohol consumed per capita (World Health Organization, 2019). The amount of alcohol that young people in Nigeria consume seems to be the root cause of an increasing burden of alcohol-related problems in the country, including addiction, poor academic performance, dangerous driving, and health difficulties, to name just a few of these problems (Andaje, 2021). It is nevertheless a continuous public health concern, despite the efforts that have been made to limit the drinking of alcohol by minors (Arshad, 2022).

In recent years, there has been debate about whether or not advertising plays a role as a possible stimulus to alcohol consumption or as a contributor to the abuse of alcohol. This debate has arisen because advertising has been linked to the purchase and consumption of alcohol by people under the age of 21. (Arshad, 2022). Advertising was described by Avery (2020) as "a systematic and constructed non-personal transmission of information about items (goods, services, and ideas) by identifiable sponsors, via multiple media." Typically, this kind of communication is paid for, and it is typically persuasive in character (p. 7). It is the perception that young people may mentally connect to pleasant dream destinations, lifestyles, and personality attributes that are shown in advertising for a very minimal expense, and this image is created by advertising. Advertising is one possible source of information for young people on the expense of alcohol as well as its advantages. The information that is offered by advertising may result in more favorable expectancies about alcohol, which can influence actual or planned consumption behavior (Balbach, 2022).

The influence of alcohol advertising may be seen in the way that young people's drinking habits are affected as a result of the advertisement. When young people are in their early years of adolescence, between the ages of ten (10) and fourteen (14), they become susceptible to the allure of alcohol marketing (14). However, being exposed to advertisements for alcoholic beverages raises the risk that a young person will begin drinking alcohol, and if that young person has already been drinking alcohol, there is a probability that their consumption will grow (Balbach, 2022). Youths are exposed to advertisements for alcoholic beverages across a variety of communication platforms; however, television advertising appears to be the most effective method of marketing alcohol. This is likely due to the fact that children and teenagers spend more time watching television than they do using any other type of media. The Australian Medical Association published their findings in 2012 Advertising on the radio and product placement within television programming are two more channels via which alcoholic drinks may be marketed (Australian Medical Association, 2012). Children have been found to identify advertisements for alcoholic beverages as the ones they like the most among the advertisements to which they have been exposed, and their preference for advertisements for alcoholic beverages has been linked to the consumption of alcohol among young people in general (Braden, 2022). This was then reaffirmed in the statement that was published by Andaje (2021), which reads as follows:

Because of the significant changes that take place in the brain throughout adolescence, teenagers are more prone to impulsivity and have a heightened responsiveness to pleasure and reward. It is expected that young individuals who already have issues connected to alcohol will be more susceptible to the effects of advertising for alcoholic beverages, and this susceptibility will increase in proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed. Advertising alcohol takes advantage of vulnerable teenagers by manipulating their attitudes, perceptions, and especially their expectations around alcohol usage. These factors subsequently impact the choices that young people make on whether or not to drink. This precarious position is made even more precarious by the massive exposure to commercial messages, not just via conventional media but also through newer forms of media, which are particularly directed at young people.

Because of the size of their bodies and the lack of experience they have had with alcohol, young people are at an increased risk of alcohol-related damage. The bigger the quantity of alcohol that is drunk throughout the teenage years, the higher the danger that is posed in the early adult years (Andaje, 2021). The sign "18+" may be seen on the vast majority of ads for alcoholic beverages, including those that appear on television, in newspapers and magazines, and even on billboards. This signifies that alcohol use is restricted to persons who are at least eighteen years old. Because of the appealing nature of alcohol advertisements to young people, there is evidence to suggest that there is a relationship between advertisements for alcohol and a positive attitude towards alcohol among young people. This is based on the fact that alcohol advertisements are appealing to young people. According to Atwoli (2022), there is a conclusion that alcohol advertising influences knowledge, attitude, and intents to drink, all of which are considered to impact drinking. As a result, there is a conclusion that there is a positive relationship between alcohol advertising and the consumption of alcohol.

According to Atwoli (2022), a significant number of ads for alcoholic beverages associate drinking with desired personal characteristics such as elegance, sociability, and physical beauty as well as with desirable outcomes like success, enjoyment, relaxation, romance, and adventure. Advertising for alcoholic beverages that have these characteristics appeal to young people, and this draws them to the advertisements. The substance of ads is often tied to expectations about the use of alcohol by young people since these appeals are used. There is, however, a substantial body of research suggesting that some alcohol brands, particularly those that are popular among young people, are manufactured with the intention of appealing to young people (Arshad, 2022). There is also evidence that the cultural myths and symbols that are employed in ads for alcoholic beverages have meaningful connotations for college students (Arshad, 2022). There are some aspects that pique the interest of young people. In particular, young people are drawn to aspects that include music, stories, characters, and humor (Arshad, 2022).

When young individuals are exposed to advertisements for alcoholic beverages, they may demonstrate a variety of reactions. Some of these responses may include awareness, perception, recognition, and self-control. Attitudes toward commercials and people's interpretations of the information they convey might sometimes constitute crucial elements that can mitigate the impact that advertisements have after they have been exposed to them. Young individuals may be exposed to commercials for alcoholic drinks and become familiar with the brands that they promote even well before they begin consuming alcoholic beverages themselves (Gunter et al., 2008). There is a worry that exposing young individuals to marketing for alcoholic beverages might lead to favorable attitudes about drinking and could also have a role in initiating early initiation of alcohol usage. This is a concern since these attitudes could lead to problems. However, there is a correlation between exposure to advertising for alcoholic beverages and the beginning stages of alcohol intake among young individuals. Advertising for alcoholic beverages influences attitudes, beliefs, and expectations towards alcohol consumption, which ultimately leads to choices among young people to drink (Akompab, 2022).

The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria is the statutory regulatory authority in Nigeria that oversees advertising practices and provides guidelines for them (APCON). The rules of the advertising code of ethics embrace all forms of media, including electronic, print, outdoor, and even viewing centers and movie theaters. Articles 32–37 of the 5th code of advertising practice outline this rule of behavior for the advertising industry. According to these articles, advertising of alcoholic beverages shall not be shown in children's religious or sporting programs; children or sportsmen or women shall not be used as models; it shall not employ religious or medical suggestions or connotations; and it shall not be sited within a radius of two hundred meters of the nearest perimeter fence of any place of worship, hospitals, schools, or motor parks (APCON, 2019).

 

In spite of the efforts of APCON to limit drinking among adolescents and those who are underage, alcohol advertising continue to look tempting to youths and are even directed at them. This is despite the fact that APCON is making these efforts. Because the majority of these young people are exposed to alcohol advertising on the internet, which could result in difficulty in preventing underage exposure to alcohol advertising, high levels of brand recognition among youths and those under the age of legal drinking age illustrate the weakness of the regulation that is currently in place (Ahn, 2022). In light of the current trajectory of events, which may eventually lead to a complete prohibition of advertising for alcoholic beverages, the alcohol industry has devised an industry-based regulation in the form of the 18+ sign in order to discourage consumption by those under the age of 18. The presence of the 18+ symbol indicates that those aged eighteen (18) years and older are permitted to consume alcoholic beverages. In light of this, the purpose of this research is to assess the level of knowledge among university students in Southwestern Nigeria about the presence of the 18+ sign in marketing for alcoholic beverages.

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