How do social networking sites help promote alcohol abuse among users?

Alcohol ads on social media sites like Facebook can increase the desire of young adults to drink if the ads contain comments from users, according to research.

The study showed that users of social media who see alcohol ads are also more likely to "share" or "share" an ad when they have pre-consumption comments.

These comments in favor of alcohol consumption combined with high user participation increased the desire to drink about 3.5 times, especially for those who have problems with alcohol.

"Heavy alcohol users and alcohol-addicted people may be more sensitive to the possible effects of alcohol-related feedback," said Jonathan Noel, of the University of Connecticut.

Ads, coupled with positive feedback on alcohol consumption, can serve as alcoholic beverages, "and increased appetite for alcoholic beverages may predict recurrence after alcohol treatment."

With hundreds of advertisements of alcohol sponsored by companies on social media sites (with millions of threats and shares) and millions of YouTube alcohol ads, alcohol companies have expanded their platforms to reach out to new consumers.

The study suggests that industry needs to improve the voluntary self-regulatory system governing its advertising, possibly limiting or forbidding comments on advertising social media.

The study, which appears in the Journal of Alcohol and Drug Studies, included 120 young adults aged 21 to 24 who lived in the US and who saw four beer ads posted on Facebook.

The lowest consumer demand was found after the participants were exposed to ads with comments on alcohol consumption, as well as a high "user engagement" (ie, Likes / Stocks / Comments).

In addition, as compared to alcohol-based ads, alcohol-friendly ads have left participants more than twice as likely to say they would like or share the ad

"There is more information about social media than just a publication or a message. We are exposed to how other users respond to a position and these answers can affect your desire to drink," said Noel .

(Information from organizations.)