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Reconceptualising public acceptability: A study of the ways people respond to policies aimed to reduce alcohol consumption.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Repository DOI


Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Cohn, Simon 

Abstract

The issue of public acceptability of health policies is key if they are to have significant and lasting impact. This study, based on focus groups conducted in England, examines the ways people responded to, and made sense of, policy ideas aimed at reducing alcohol consumption. Although effective policies were supported in the abstract, specific proposals were consistently rejected because they were not thought to map onto the fundamental causes of excessive drinking, which was not attributed to alcohol itself but instead its cultural context. Rather than being influenced by the credibility of evidence, or assessed according to likely gains set against possible losses, such responses were established dynamically as people interacted with others to make sense of the topic. This has significant implications for policy-makers, suggesting that existing beliefs and knowledge need to be taken into account as potentially productive rather than obstructive resources.

Description

This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from SAGE Publications via http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1363459315574117

Keywords

alcohol, focus groups, health behaviour, health policy, Adult, Aged, Alcohol Drinking, Female, Focus Groups, Health Behavior, Health Policy, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Public Opinion, Risk Assessment, Socioeconomic Factors, United Kingdom, Young Adult

Journal Title

Health (London)

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1363-4593
1461-7196

Volume Title

20

Publisher

SAGE Publications
Sponsorship
The author disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, and publication of this article: The UK Department of Health Policy Research Programme (Policy Research Unit in Behaviour and Health, PR-UN-0409-10109).