According to new research, when alcohol is consumed, policy makers and drinkers are speaking different languages.

A new study by a team psychologists, linguists and policy experts by Staffordshire University, Liverpool University, Oxford Brooks University and London South Bank University shows a clear difference in such a way that policy makers and public liquor consumption is revealed – and argue for a new perspective for alcohol intervention and health campaigns.

Using linguistics software, the team analyzed the language used in England’s three most recent liquor policies, compared to how young adults talked about drinking.

Researcher Dr. at Applied Gender West at Liverpool University. Emma Moreton explained: “It is possible to identify some underlying approaches, perceptions and beliefs around alcohol consumption and alcohol loss, by examining the language used by various individuals and groups in various contexts.

Conclusions suggest that although policy makers and drinkers often refer to similar topics-as alcohol-related health risk and intoxication-these narratives are quite different.

Policy documents use alcohol mainly in negative words, often cured as a behavioral problem, while the drinkers talk about negatives. And Positive effects of alcohol consumption.

Our new paper shows that policy makers and drinkers talk about drinking in different ways. While policy makers focused on drinking behavior, the drinkers talked about how drinking they felt different feelings: embarrassed, happy, guilty, depressed.

Policy makers need to form policies to reflect the importance of emotions in the narratives of drinkers. It fits with psychological principles of drinking behavior, which proposes that people drink for different reasons – to socialize, to relax, to deal with negative emotions, to fit with their friends. Policy initiative will work for some to cut guidelines of 14 units per week, or to drink, work for some but not all; If people are worried that the cuts will distinguish them from others or their social life, then they are likely to ignore such messages. ,

Richard Cook, Professor of Health Psychology, University of Staffordshire

Conclusions also challenge the useless focus on young drinkers, indicating the use of alcohol among older adults, whose consumption is more closely associated with long -term health issues such as cancer and heart disease.

Around 17,000 cancer is diagnosed every year and the World Cancer Research Fund recently introduced a petition to the government to introduce a national liquor strategy for England, including better liquor labeling, minimum unit pricing and marketing restrictions.

The government’s most recent liquor strategy was published in March 2012 and paper researchers are calling for a new strategy – with the drinkers involved in the policy making process.

They argue that policies should reflect real -life behavior and motivations if they are to create a meaningful difference and this dialogue, not only the instructions, is important to reduce the damage related to alcohol.

Professor Cook said: “As most people in England drink within the guidelines, we need acceptable messages that fit with people’s lives. We ask policy makers to talk to drinkers about their experiences, find out which policies they like, and go away from focusing a special focus on loss.