The Advertising Association, Social Network Effects on Binge Drinking ___________
In 2007 Volterra were commissioned by The Advertising Association to search the relationship between advertising and the misuse of alcohol. By this, we mean the rapid consumption of large amounts of alcohol, especially by young people, leading to anti-social behaviour in urban centres.
Our report studied the ability of networks of friends to encourage binge drinking behaviour that matched the patterns identified in quantitative field research provided through our partner FDS International. The ground breaking study combined cutting edge network analysis with the survey work to identify to degree to which binge drinking trends can be explained as a social network phenomenon.
The results establish that social influence operating through personal friendship networks is sufficient by itself to explain a large rise in binge drinking amongst young people.
To put the conclusion beyond doubt, additional survey work and analysis is required to assess the relative importance of friendship networks and factors such as the price of alcohol. But, the findings show that behaviour of close friends is clearly a very important determinant of the rise of anti-social binge drinking in the UK and policy formulation needs to develop strategies that focus on this area. Volterra believes that policies focusing on social influences will, with Government enforcement, bring success in this area in the same way that success has already been achieved in reducing the social acceptability of drink driving.
Volterra's work provided part of an evidence base that tested that causal link between advertising and drinking. The study received wide media coverage and a technical paper discussing the modelling approach was published in the special edition of the Mind and Society Journal later in 2009.
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