Project 460195

Alcohol use and harms are increasing at a greater rate among women than men. Deliberate gender-targeted alcohol advertising has been identified by health experts as a key driver increasing alcohol use and harms among women. Market research shows the alcohol industry is featuring health-oriented nutrient content claims (e.g., 0g sugar) on the front of select alcoholic beverages as a promotional strategy targeting specific populations, such as women and young adults who may be more responsive to this health-oriented product positioning. Current Canadian regulations prohibit product label statements that are misleading or create an erroneous impression. The use of nutrient content claims to promote the nutritional attributes of select beverages may mislead consumers to believe products with the claims are "healthier" than similar products without the claims and consume more. Health warning labels are recommended as a policy tool for communicating health risks to consumers and countering advertising cues. Unlike tobacco or cannabis packs, alcohol containers are not mandated to display a health warning label in Canada. The proposed study will be the first in Canada to test the gender-specific effects of alcohol nutrient content claims and a health warning label on product perceptions and drinking intentions. More specifically, the proposed study will consist of an online survey with Canadian women and men ages 18-45 who drink alcohol to experimentally test if nutrient content claims on alcohol containers influence product perceptions and drinking intentions, and if the influence of these claims differs between women and men. The proposed study will also examine if a health warning label on alcohol containers modifies the influence of nutrient content claims on perceptions and drinking intentions by gender. Should nutrient content claims prove to mislead consumers about the health risks of alcohol, results can inform policy priorities for alcohol labelling in Canada.