Study finds excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco in British reality shows | showbiz

LONDON, June 19 – A study by the British University of Nottingham suggests that cigarettes and alcohol appear frequently in British reality shows.

The researchers in the study, published in the Journal of Public Health, focused on five specific reality shows: Celebrity Big Brother, Made in Chelsea, The only way is Esbad, Geordie Shore and Island of love, all broadcast on British television channels for a total of 112 episodes between January and August 2018. Each scene was investigated to determine the number of one minute intervals featuring images of tobacco and / or d & rsquo; # 39; alcohol.

Alcohol was included in all 112 episodes. The largest number of one – minute intervals containing images of alcohol was found in the Island of love show, in which single candidates find themselves in a villa, isolated from the outside world. A total of 40 brands of alcohol have been identified, the most common being Smirnoff vodka. Tobacco content (actual or inferred use) was present in 20 episodes, almost exclusively in Celebrity Big Brother. The researchers say that unlike alcohol, no tobacco brand was present.

Driving consumption among young people?

Taking into account the audience figures and population estimates, the researchers consider that the 112 episodes revealed a total of 4.9 billion alcohol-related impressions to the British population, of which 580 million for the under 16s. For tobacco, this represents 214 million impressions, including 47 million for those under 16 years of age.

"Recent data shows that 44% of 11-15 year olds in England drank alcohol and 19% tried to smoke. Starting to smoke or drink alcohol at a young age is a powerful predictor of addiction and continued use later in life, "said lead author Alexander Barker.

"Given that seeing images of alcohol or tobacco in the media encourages youth use, this study identifies reality TV shows as an important potential driver of consumer spending." alcohol and tobacco among young people in the UK. More stringent programming rules, such as limiting the amount of content and branding in these programs, could prevent children and youth from being exposed to tobacco and alcohol content. "- AFP-Relaxnews