The influence of television advertisements on alcoh ol consumption among youth in secondary schools in Kwale county a case of Kasemeni location

Abstract

The overall objective of this study was to investigate the influence of television advertisements on alcohol consumption among the youth i n secondary schools. The specific objectives of the study were: To find out the level of information about alcohol among the youth, to determine the fact ors that influence the youth to drink and lastly to determine the role of advertisements on alcohol con sumption among the youth. The study was guid ed by Social learning theory, Cognitive dissonance theory and Social judgement theory. This study was conducted among secondary students in Kwale county, Ka semeni location. These schools we re: Mwamdudu which is mixed, Mazeras boys, Mazeras girls and Mnyenzeni which is also a mixed school. A sample size of 320 respondents drawn from the four secondary schools in the location filled a self - administered questionnaire . Respondents for t he survey were selected using m ultiple - stage sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to interpret the quantitative data obtained. The major findings of the study were; first, students have the knowledge about alcohol drinking and the s ide effects of alcohol. Second, despite the knowledge and awareness a significant number of students still drink alcohol. Third, majority of the students indicated that they have drunk alcohol in their life time. Fourth, there is gender dis parity when it c omes to drinking among the students. Fifth student s highlighted peer pressure and alcohol advertisements as the key cause of youth drinking. Finally a significant number indicated to have come across alcohol ad vertisements through television. On the basis of the findings, the following conclusions were drawn ; peer pressure and alcohol advertisements are the key cause of youth drinking and that youth drinking is also a personal decision. A recommendation with policy implications arising from thi s study is that in as much as a lcohol advertisements is there to stay there is need to regulate the media in the area of alcohol advertising and also regulate the alcohol advertisements in such a way that they don’t provoke the youth to think about alcohol drinking. For further research, this study recommends the following areas: research to establish how the degree of exposu re of alcohol advertisements influence students drinking; rese arch in other counties for the purpose of a comparative study since this study was limited to Kwale County