Youths’ Awareness of the Proliferation of Alcohol Sales and Their Perceptions of Alcohol Advertising and Consumption in Adewole Ward, Ilorin
Keywords:
Alcohol Advertising, Youth Perception, Alcohol Consumption, Advertising Messages, Antisocial Behaviour
Abstract
Alcohol advertising has become increasingly visible in many urban Nigerian communities, raising concerns about its potential influence on youth attitudes and consumption patterns. Against this background, this study examines how youths perceive alcohol advertising and how these perceptions relate to observed patterns of alcohol sales and consumption within the community. The purpose of the study was twofold: first, to assess the level of awareness among youths in Adewole ward regarding the proliferation of alcohol sales in their area; and second, to examine youths’ views on the relationship between alcohol advertising and alcohol consumption. A quantitative survey research design was adopted. Data were collected from 370 youths in Adewole ward using a structured questionnaire, and the responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings reveal a high level of youth awareness of the widespread sale and public consumption of alcohol, including the visibility of alcohol in small sachets and other easily accessible packaging. While respondents acknowledged that alcohol advertising is pervasive across mainstream and social media and contributes to excessive drinking and increased social acceptance of alcohol use, many did not perceive continuous advertising as a direct and immediate driver of their individual purchasing behaviour. This suggests that advertising exerts a more indirect, normative influence within a context of high physical availability. The study concludes that alcohol advertising, combined with widespread accessibility, contributes to the normalisation of alcohol consumption among youths rather than acting solely as a direct behavioural trigger. The research contributes community-level, perception-focused evidence from a Nigerian urban context, offering insights relevant to media regulation, public health communication, and youth-focused interventions.
References
Ahmed, A. M. A., & Othman, A. K. (2024). False advertising and consumer online purchase behaviour. Journal of Emerging Economies & Islamic Research, 12(2).
Alqaysi, S. J., Zahari, A. R., & Khudari, M. (2024). Awareness advertising influence on consumers' buying intention: Exploring attitude as a mediating factor. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(7).
Babor, T. F., Robaina, K., Noel, J. K., & Ritson, E. B. (2017). Vulnerability to alcohol‐related problems: a policy brief with implications for the regulation of alcohol marketing. Addiction, 112, 94-101.
Beck, A., & Heinz, A. (2013). Alcohol-related aggression—social and neurobiological factors. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 110(42), 711.
Campbell, A., & Chung, J. Y. (2022). Alcohol advertising on social media: A content analysis of message strategies of alcohol advertisements on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 37(2). https://doi.org/10.58997/smc.v37i2.109
Davis, J. P., Pedersen, E. R., Tucker, J. S., Dunbar, M. S., Seelam, R., Shih, R., & D’Amico, E. J. (2019). Long-term associations between substance use-related media exposure, descriptive norms, and alcohol use from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of youth and adolescence, 48(7), 1311-1326.
Degenhardt, L., Stockings, E., Patton, G., Hall, W. D., & Lynskey, M. (2016). The increasing global health priority of substance use in young people. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(3), 251-264.
Dumbili, E. W., & Williams, C. (2017). Awareness of alcohol advertisements and perceived influence on alcohol consumption: a qualitative study of Nigerian university students. Addiction Research & Theory, 25(1), 74-82.
Fennis, B. M., & Stroebe, W. (2020). The psychology of advertising. Routledge.
Fill, C., & Turnbull, S. (2019). Marketing communications. Pearson UK.
Gupta, H., Pettigrew, S., Lam, T., & Tait, R. J. (2016). A systematic review of the impact of exposure to internet-based alcohol-related content on young people's alcohol use behaviours. Alcohol and alcoholism, 51(6), 763-771.
Heath, D. B. (2012). Drinking occasions: Comparative perspectives on alcohol and culture. Routledge.
Hebden, R. T. (2023). Embedded commercial technologies: the role of smartphones and alcohol marketing in young adult drinking cultures. Doctoral dissertation, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Ibimiluyi, F. O. (2023). Alcoholic consumption and antisocial behaviours among secondary school students in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. International Journal of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods, 11(1), 24-34.
Ikediashi, N. N., & Akande, J. A. (2015). Anti-social behaviours among Nigerian adolescents. Journal of research & method in education, 5(4), 31-36.
Järvinen, M., Ellergaard, C. H., & Larsen, A. G. (2014). Drinking successfully: Alcohol consumption, taste and social status. Journal of Consumer Culture, 14(3), 384-405.
Jernigan, D. H., Padon, A., Ross, C., & Borzekowski, D. (2017). Self‐reported youth and adult exposure to alcohol marketing in traditional and digital media: Results of a pilot survey. Alcoholism: clinical and experimental research, 41(3), 618-625.
Karki, Y. (2021). Agathokakological aspect of alcohol advertising in newspapers. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management, 8(3), 408-415. https://doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v8i3.37708
Kruis, N. E., Seo, C., & Kim, B. (2020). Revisiting the empirical status of social learning theory on substance use: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Substance use & misuse, 55(4), 666-683.
Kumar, V., & Gupta, S. (2016). Conceptualising the evolution and future of advertising. Journal of Advertising, 45(3), 302-317.
La Ferle, C., & Lee, W. N. (2019). How advertising works within a cultural context: theories and frameworks informing the process. Advertising theory, 453-468.
Li, S., Hong, Y. C., & Craig, S. D. (2023). A systematic literature review of Social Learning Theory in Online Learning environments. Educational Psychology Review, 35(4), 108.
Martins, J., Costa, C., Oliveira, T., Gonçalves, R., & Branco, F. (2019). How smartphone advertising influences consumers' purchase intention. Journal of Business Research, 94, 378-387.
McDonald, R. E., Laverie, D. A., & Manis, K. T. (2021). The interplay between advertising and society: an historical analysis. Journal of Macromarketing, 41(4), 585-609.
McLeod, D. M., Wise, D., & Perryman, M. (2017). Thinking about the media: A review of theory and research on media perceptions, media effects perceptions, and their consequences. Review of Communication Research, 5, 35-83.
Moriarty, S., Mitchell, N. D., Wells, W. D., Crawford, R., Brennan, L., & Spence-Stone, R. (2014). Advertising: Principles and Practice. Pearson Australia.
Müller, C. P., Schumann, G., Rehm, J., Kornhuber, J., & Lenz, B. (2023). Self-management with alcohol over lifespan: psychological mechanisms, neurobiological underpinnings, and risk assessment. Molecular Psychiatry, 28(7), 2683-2696.
Mutum, D. S., & Ghazali, E. M. (2023). Consumers, Society and Marketing. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance.
Noel, J. K., Sammartino, C. J., & Rosenthal, S. R. (2020). Exposure to digital alcohol marketing and alcohol use: a systematic review. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Supplement, (s19), 57-67.
Noel, J. K., Xuan, Z., & Babor, T. F. (2018). Perceptions of alcohol advertising among high-risk drinkers. Substance use & misuse, 53(9), 1403-1410.
Olufemi, O. A., & Iyabode, O. J. (2019). Effects of drug abuse and violence among the adult learners in Ilorin metropolis. IFE PsychologIA: An International Journal, 27(1), 103-110.
Pitcher, G. (2015). Theory of perception. Princeton University Press.
Powell, J. (2014). Drug and alcohol dependence. In Adult Psychological Problems (pp. 77-102). Taylor & Francis.
Rabindranath, M., & Singh, A. K. (2024). Introduction to advertising. In Advertising Management: Concepts, Theories, Research and Trends (pp. 3-38). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Radakovic, K. (2014). Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective. Ekonomski horizonti, 16(3), 257-259.
Scott, S., Muirhead, C., Shucksmith, J., Tyrrell, R., & Kaner, E. (2017). Does industry-driven alcohol marketing influence adolescent drinking behaviour? A systematic review. Alcohol and alcoholism, 52(1), 84-94.
Searle, J. R. (2015). Seeing things as they are: A theory of perception. Oxford University Press.
Taylor, J., Twigg, L., & Mohan, J. (2015). Understanding neighbourhood perceptions of alcohol-related anti-social behaviour. Urban Studies, 52(12), 2186-2202.
Terkan, R. (2014). Importance of creative advertising and marketing according to university students’ perspective. International Review of Management and Marketing, 4(3), 239-246.
World Health Organisation. (2018). Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. World Health Organisation.
Woszidlo, A., & Kunkel, A. (2017). Social learning theory: An emphasis on modelling in parent-child relationships. In Engaging theories in family communication (pp. 290-299). Routledge.
Zharekhina, L., & Kubacki, K. (2015). What messages does social marketing advertising send? A content analysis of advertisements aiming to minimise harm from alcohol consumption. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 20(4), 285-298.
Alqaysi, S. J., Zahari, A. R., & Khudari, M. (2024). Awareness advertising influence on consumers' buying intention: Exploring attitude as a mediating factor. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(7).
Babor, T. F., Robaina, K., Noel, J. K., & Ritson, E. B. (2017). Vulnerability to alcohol‐related problems: a policy brief with implications for the regulation of alcohol marketing. Addiction, 112, 94-101.
Beck, A., & Heinz, A. (2013). Alcohol-related aggression—social and neurobiological factors. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 110(42), 711.
Campbell, A., & Chung, J. Y. (2022). Alcohol advertising on social media: A content analysis of message strategies of alcohol advertisements on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 37(2). https://doi.org/10.58997/smc.v37i2.109
Davis, J. P., Pedersen, E. R., Tucker, J. S., Dunbar, M. S., Seelam, R., Shih, R., & D’Amico, E. J. (2019). Long-term associations between substance use-related media exposure, descriptive norms, and alcohol use from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of youth and adolescence, 48(7), 1311-1326.
Degenhardt, L., Stockings, E., Patton, G., Hall, W. D., & Lynskey, M. (2016). The increasing global health priority of substance use in young people. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(3), 251-264.
Dumbili, E. W., & Williams, C. (2017). Awareness of alcohol advertisements and perceived influence on alcohol consumption: a qualitative study of Nigerian university students. Addiction Research & Theory, 25(1), 74-82.
Fennis, B. M., & Stroebe, W. (2020). The psychology of advertising. Routledge.
Fill, C., & Turnbull, S. (2019). Marketing communications. Pearson UK.
Gupta, H., Pettigrew, S., Lam, T., & Tait, R. J. (2016). A systematic review of the impact of exposure to internet-based alcohol-related content on young people's alcohol use behaviours. Alcohol and alcoholism, 51(6), 763-771.
Heath, D. B. (2012). Drinking occasions: Comparative perspectives on alcohol and culture. Routledge.
Hebden, R. T. (2023). Embedded commercial technologies: the role of smartphones and alcohol marketing in young adult drinking cultures. Doctoral dissertation, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Ibimiluyi, F. O. (2023). Alcoholic consumption and antisocial behaviours among secondary school students in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. International Journal of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods, 11(1), 24-34.
Ikediashi, N. N., & Akande, J. A. (2015). Anti-social behaviours among Nigerian adolescents. Journal of research & method in education, 5(4), 31-36.
Järvinen, M., Ellergaard, C. H., & Larsen, A. G. (2014). Drinking successfully: Alcohol consumption, taste and social status. Journal of Consumer Culture, 14(3), 384-405.
Jernigan, D. H., Padon, A., Ross, C., & Borzekowski, D. (2017). Self‐reported youth and adult exposure to alcohol marketing in traditional and digital media: Results of a pilot survey. Alcoholism: clinical and experimental research, 41(3), 618-625.
Karki, Y. (2021). Agathokakological aspect of alcohol advertising in newspapers. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management, 8(3), 408-415. https://doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v8i3.37708
Kruis, N. E., Seo, C., & Kim, B. (2020). Revisiting the empirical status of social learning theory on substance use: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Substance use & misuse, 55(4), 666-683.
Kumar, V., & Gupta, S. (2016). Conceptualising the evolution and future of advertising. Journal of Advertising, 45(3), 302-317.
La Ferle, C., & Lee, W. N. (2019). How advertising works within a cultural context: theories and frameworks informing the process. Advertising theory, 453-468.
Li, S., Hong, Y. C., & Craig, S. D. (2023). A systematic literature review of Social Learning Theory in Online Learning environments. Educational Psychology Review, 35(4), 108.
Martins, J., Costa, C., Oliveira, T., Gonçalves, R., & Branco, F. (2019). How smartphone advertising influences consumers' purchase intention. Journal of Business Research, 94, 378-387.
McDonald, R. E., Laverie, D. A., & Manis, K. T. (2021). The interplay between advertising and society: an historical analysis. Journal of Macromarketing, 41(4), 585-609.
McLeod, D. M., Wise, D., & Perryman, M. (2017). Thinking about the media: A review of theory and research on media perceptions, media effects perceptions, and their consequences. Review of Communication Research, 5, 35-83.
Moriarty, S., Mitchell, N. D., Wells, W. D., Crawford, R., Brennan, L., & Spence-Stone, R. (2014). Advertising: Principles and Practice. Pearson Australia.
Müller, C. P., Schumann, G., Rehm, J., Kornhuber, J., & Lenz, B. (2023). Self-management with alcohol over lifespan: psychological mechanisms, neurobiological underpinnings, and risk assessment. Molecular Psychiatry, 28(7), 2683-2696.
Mutum, D. S., & Ghazali, E. M. (2023). Consumers, Society and Marketing. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance.
Noel, J. K., Sammartino, C. J., & Rosenthal, S. R. (2020). Exposure to digital alcohol marketing and alcohol use: a systematic review. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Supplement, (s19), 57-67.
Noel, J. K., Xuan, Z., & Babor, T. F. (2018). Perceptions of alcohol advertising among high-risk drinkers. Substance use & misuse, 53(9), 1403-1410.
Olufemi, O. A., & Iyabode, O. J. (2019). Effects of drug abuse and violence among the adult learners in Ilorin metropolis. IFE PsychologIA: An International Journal, 27(1), 103-110.
Pitcher, G. (2015). Theory of perception. Princeton University Press.
Powell, J. (2014). Drug and alcohol dependence. In Adult Psychological Problems (pp. 77-102). Taylor & Francis.
Rabindranath, M., & Singh, A. K. (2024). Introduction to advertising. In Advertising Management: Concepts, Theories, Research and Trends (pp. 3-38). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Radakovic, K. (2014). Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective. Ekonomski horizonti, 16(3), 257-259.
Scott, S., Muirhead, C., Shucksmith, J., Tyrrell, R., & Kaner, E. (2017). Does industry-driven alcohol marketing influence adolescent drinking behaviour? A systematic review. Alcohol and alcoholism, 52(1), 84-94.
Searle, J. R. (2015). Seeing things as they are: A theory of perception. Oxford University Press.
Taylor, J., Twigg, L., & Mohan, J. (2015). Understanding neighbourhood perceptions of alcohol-related anti-social behaviour. Urban Studies, 52(12), 2186-2202.
Terkan, R. (2014). Importance of creative advertising and marketing according to university students’ perspective. International Review of Management and Marketing, 4(3), 239-246.
World Health Organisation. (2018). Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. World Health Organisation.
Woszidlo, A., & Kunkel, A. (2017). Social learning theory: An emphasis on modelling in parent-child relationships. In Engaging theories in family communication (pp. 290-299). Routledge.
Zharekhina, L., & Kubacki, K. (2015). What messages does social marketing advertising send? A content analysis of advertisements aiming to minimise harm from alcohol consumption. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 20(4), 285-298.
Published
2025-10-31
How to Cite
SULEMAN, A. S., Ameed MUMIN, Abdulhafeez Taiye OYEWOLE, Bashir Amoda AJIJOLA, Tope Joseph OLORUNMOLA, & Sa’adat Kehinde KATIBI. (2025). Youths’ Awareness of the Proliferation of Alcohol Sales and Their Perceptions of Alcohol Advertising and Consumption in Adewole Ward, Ilorin. Queen Journal: Education, Technology, Science, and Social Humanities, 1(1), 25-34. Retrieved from http://jurnal.faperta-unras.ac.id/index.php/Queenjournal/article/view/621
Section
Articles
