Deeply concerning & disappointing that Smashed, a school-based programme funded by multinational alcoholic beverage company Diageo, is being allowed to tour schools in Wales ⬇️ southwalesargus.co.uk/news/24594287.…

Research by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine looked at the accuracy of information on 15 digital tools and apps created by alcohol-industry backed organisations in the UK and other countries, and found that many contain “blatant misinformation” and could push people to drink more. independent.co.uk/news/health/dr…

In a review of apps marketed at helping people manage their drinking and health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found evidence of “blatant misinformation” that could persuade people to actually drink more. This includes Drinkaware's MyDrinkaware app 🚫 independent.co.uk/news/health/dr…

Study warns industry-funded alcohol-reduction apps may contain #misinformation LSHTM analysis suggests #alcohol industry-funded tools may omit important public health information & could ‘nudge’ users to drink more. 👉bit.ly/3U5gqJw

🧵1/12 Many alcohol-industry-funded organisations disseminate digital tools (e.g Apps, websites) claiming to help users monitor alcohol consumption. The accuracy & functionality of tools from organisations like Drinkaware, Drinkwise, Drinkaware Ireland, Educ’ Alcool was unknown.

2/12 We (Mark Petticrew @markpetticrew.bsky.social Claire Mulrenan Katherine Körner (she/her)) evaluated the information accuracy and framing, behaviour change techniques, and function of 15 industry-backed tools from UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia. We compared these to 10 independent digital tools.

3/12 We found industry-backed tools frequently employed misinformation and manipulative design tactics known as 'dark patterns'. These make it difficult for users to accurately assess their alcohol consumption and make informed decisions about their health.

4/12 Misinformation strategies were found in 93% of industry apps vs. 0% independent apps. Industry apps were significantly less likely to inform users on national guidelines and the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

5/12 Many industry apps employed 'dark patterns' - features which can manipulate and influence consumers against consumers' interests. Some apps encouraged alcohol consumption through social norming and priming 'nudges'.

6/12 What sort of thing did we look for? One example is dissonant graphics that fail to provide users with advice - like this graph from Cheers! with green-for-go bars labelled 'Feeling the buzz' - with no warning the user is drinking above NZ's daily (2SD) and binge (6SD) limits

7/12 Or Drinkaware's calculator failing to recognise daily binge drinking (8 units = blue) as long as one day is higher (Saturday red bar = 9 units). Why are the UK guidelines displayed below the fold, in tiny text that is half the size of my cheeseburger calculation?

8/12 We introduce the term "Dark Apps" to describe apps that use dark nudges and sludge to manipulate users into behaviours that benefit commercial interests rather than their health goals. We identified two categories:

9/12 "Promotional" Dark Apps actively push industry narratives that encourage consumption, like the idea of “responsible drinking.” "Deficient" Dark Apps are poorly designed and lack evidence-based behaviour change techniques, rendering them ineffective in supporting users.

10/12 Industry actors use digital behaviour change tools to appear to be ‘doing good’, while bypassing legitimate independent sources to promote industry narratives, spread health misinformation and nudge towards increasing consumption.

11/12 Given their potential for direct harm and for displacing reliable sources, the public should be explicitly warned to avoid tools from industry-funded organisations like Drinkaware, Drinkwise, Cheers and Educ’alcool Paper: academic.oup.com/heapro/article…

Professor Anna Gilmore will be delivering an Innovations in Tobacco Control Lecture for Institute for Global Tobacco Control next Wednesday, 6 November titled “Assessing Progress in Tobacco Control: Time to Learn Lessons from the Commercial Determinants of Health?”. 📅Register: jh.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

"If you are in desperate need of protecting your hen house, should a whole of society approach mean you need to involve foxes?" Excellent blog here on the "inherent contradiction between the interests of alcohol producers and public health” #BigAlcoholBigProblem

A powerful story can increase understanding of the role of the wider determinants of health, and support for action to address them. Check out our latest top tips, produced with Frameworks UK, on how we communicate about the building blocks of health ⬇️ health.org.uk/publications/h…

New Commercial Determinants Research Group at LSHTM paper! Umbrella review led by Alice Tompson with Mark Petticrew @markpetticrew.bsky.social May van Schalkwyk Greg Hartwell Muhammad Alkasaby Kate Dun-Campbell, Nason Maani Katherine Körner (she/her) on population-level interventions to address #CDoH WRT mental health in Health Promotion International (OUP) #CDoH: academic.oup.com/heapro/article…

Much more action is needed to counter harmful industry influence of children, young people & schools. Thank you Emmajourno for drawing attention to this issue in relation to food industry influence in UK schools in the The BMJ & for involving me bmj.com/content/387/bm…