Objective: The Loi Évin legislation restricts alcohol advertising in France and is more comprehensive than the self-regulation-based U.K. approach. Through contributions to news media and parliamentary processes, stakeholders can play an important role in framing the debate around public policy. This project therefore aimed to analyze how the Loi Évin has been represented since its inception in U.K. media and Parliament by the advertising and alcohol industries, politicians, and nongovernmental organizations.
Method: Qualitative analysis of media and parliamentary documents using the hermeneutic method, analyzing contexts in which the Loi Évin was mentioned by stakeholders in the media and in Parliament. Print and trade media articles referencing the Loi Évin were retrieved from the ProQuest media archive [from 1985 to 2016]. U.K. parliamentary representations referencing the Loi Évin were obtained from the parliamentary database for publications and the Hansard parliamentary record. A total of 109 documents referencing the Loi Évin were identified, of which 71 met the inclusion criteria and were included for analysis.
Results: The alcohol and advertising industries have framed the Loi Évin as incompatible with European Union principles, irrational and ineffective, with arguments changing over time in response to landmark events and rulings. Supporters of Loi Évin-style legislation failed to counter industry framing of advertising as not contributing to increased consumption.
Conclusions: The portrayal of the Loi Évin by industry in the United Kingdom is an important example of policy framing and provides evidence of the synergy between advertising and alcohol industry representatives in combatting legislation that could harm profits.