OBJECTIVE: Problems related to alcohol consumption are frequent, especially among the youth population. We analyzed advertisement as one of several modifiable factors with impact over alcohol consumption. METHOD: The authors carried out a literature review within Medline, SciELO, PsychoInfo and Google Scholar databases between 1990 and 2008, retrieving studies with different approaches of the alcohol advertisement impact on consumption. Besides, a " snowball" technique was applied to identify the most proficuous authors on the matter. Over a hundred papers were initially selected. RESULTS: The overall set of papers indicate that factors such as exposition to the advertising and attractiveness of the alcoholic beverage advertising are related with greater expectation of future consumption and with a higher and precocious consumption of alcohol, specially among adolescents and young adults. Despite methodological difficulties, recent econometrical studies indicate that reduction and/or banishment of advertising would decrease alcohol consumption. We also consider issues about the neurophysiology of decision making process and the freedom of choice in the context of exposition to advertisements. CONCLUSIONS: The current knowledge on the matter strongly suggests that a reduction of the exposition to alcohol advertisements impacts on its consumption, mainly among young populations.
Alcohol; Alcohol drinking; Adolescents; Alcohol-related disorders; Products publicity control
