Public Health, Advertising and Reality

15 Pages Posted: 2 Dec 2009

Date Written: November 24, 2009

Abstract

Advertising is often blamed as the, or a, cause of public health problems such as misuse of alcohol or obesity. This paper suggests that the conclusions drawn by researchers owe more to their a priori attitudes than to an even handed review of the evidence from both sides of the argument. The British Medical Association Science Committee’s 2009 call to ban alcohol advertising and promotion in the UK is taken as a case study. It is characterised by sweeping unsupported assertions, selective use of the literature and factual misreporting. Yet there is, or should be, common ground which should be defined and developed scientifically.

Suggested Citation

Ambler, Tim, Public Health, Advertising and Reality (November 24, 2009). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1516631 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1516631

Tim Ambler (Contact Author)

London Business School ( email )

Sussex Place
Regent's Park
London, London NW1 4SA
United Kingdom

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
90
Abstract Views
627
Rank
513,029
PlumX Metrics