ReaCH researchers investigate how alcohol is marketed to LGBTQ+ community

Researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University have won funding for a six-month project investigating how alcohol is marketed to the LGBTQ+ community.

Dr Dave Whiteley, a member of the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus and Substance Use research groups in the Research Centre for Health (ReaCH), will lead the study with Dr Elena Dimova, Deborah Rickards-Hill and ReaCH Co-Director Professor Carol Emslie.

The team has been awarded £8,821 from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) to look at how alcohol companies target gender and sexually diverse minorities, and what impact those marketing practices have on drinking habits.

Dr Whiteley is a nurse and lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Community Health in the School of Health and Life Sciences, and his research interests align to his clinical background, which include blood borne viruses, marginalised communities and substance use.

He said: “We’re delighted to receive this grant from the IAS.  We know that people who identify within the LGBTQ+ umbrella suffer greater alcohol-related harms.

“We also know that the alcohol industry actively targets these communities through a range of activities that risk intensifying existing health inequalities.

“It’s important we explore that further, and take a closer look at how alcohol is promoted to gender and sexually diverse communities so we can influence policy responses.

“The aims of the review are to bring together published research and grey literature focused on how alcohol is marketed towards LGBTQ+ communities so we can see what we know, and what we don’t.

“We’re interested in how alcohol companies target gender and sexually diverse minorities, and what impact those marketing practices have on drinking habits. We want to provide a comprehensive summary of existing research, to inform key areas for further exploration and provide robust evidence for policymakers.”

This research builds on a previous study led by Professor Emslie, which was debated in the Scottish Parliament and backed by nine MSPs in May, highlighting major inequalities for the LGBTQ+ community in accessing alcohol services.

ReaCH makes a direct and significant contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 3 – good health and wellbeing – issued by the United Nations in 2015 as a blueprint for peace and prosperity across the planet.