Alcohol Product Labelling

Alcohol Labelling Research

Alcohol Labelling Research explores how people respond to alcohol health information, warning labels, and responsible drinking messages.

About the Research

Alcohol product labels are one of the most visible ways of communicating health information to people who drink alcohol. However, there is ongoing debate about what information should appear on alcohol products and whether existing messages are effective.

Research within OxBAR-Lab explores how people understand and respond to alcohol-related information, including messages about alcohol and cancer, liver disease, and responsible drinking. We are particularly interested in how drinker identities, social comparisons, and perceptions of personal relevance influence responses to alcohol health information.

Our work includes online studies, surveys, interviews, and experimental research conducted within the OxBAR-Lab simulated bar and café environment. Through this research, we aim to better understand how alcohol information can be communicated in ways that are meaningful, credible, and relevant to different groups of drinkers.

Current Projects

LABEL-ID (Alcohol Labels and Identity Dynamics)

LABEL-ID is the first in-person experimental study conducted within OxBAR-Lab. The study examines how young adults respond to different alcohol-related messages presented in a simulated bar environment. Participants are exposed to information about alcohol and cancer, alcohol and liver disease, or responsible drinking, and we explore how these messages influence reflection, perceptions of personal relevance, othering, drink-selection decisions, and information-seeking behaviour.

Current Status

Data collection planned.

Find Out More

• Preregistration(s): Forthcoming

• Publications

Davies, E. L., Cooke, R., de Visser, R. O., & Conroy, D. (2023). Calling time on responsible drinking: A qualitative study of perceptions of information on alcohol product labels. British Journal of Health Psychology, 28(2), 320-337. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12627

Davies, E. L., Foxcroft, D. R., Puljevic, C., Ferris, J. A., & Winstock, A. R. (2022). Global comparisons of responses to alcohol health information labels: A cross sectional study of people who drink alcohol from 29 countries. Addictive Behaviors, 131, 107330. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107330

Davies, E. L., Lewin, J., & Field, M. (2022). Am I a responsible drinker? The impact of message frame and drinker prototypes on perceptions of alcohol product information labels. Psychology & Health, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2022.2129055

Lewin, J., Field, M., & Davies, E. (2024). Investigating the impact of ‘dark nudges’ on drinking intentions: A between groups, randomized and online experimental study. British Journal of Health Psychology, 29(1), 272-292. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12698

Winstock, A. R., Holmes, J., Ferris, J. A., & Davies, E. L. (2020). Perceptions of alcohol health warning labels in a large international cross sectional survey of people who drink alcohol. Alcohol & Alcoholism. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agz099

Winstock, A. R., Lynskey, M., Maier, L. J., Ferris, J. A., & Davies, E. L. (2020). Perceptions of cannabis health information labels among people who use cannabis in the U.S. and Canada. International Journal of Drug Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102789