Some thoughts on mom-focused alcohol marketing

Drinking wine

This is my second week back to work after a busy and rewarding maternity leave. My little guys are settling in to daycare, and I am settling back in to my job in family health promotion. One of the first things that came across my desk was an advertisement for a mom-focused event that promoted a combination of “boozing,” breastfeeding, and stress relief for moms. It caught my attention and got me digging a little deeper into the world of alcohol advertising to moms. What I found was that marketing of alcohol to moms, and women in general, is big business and there are a few things we need to consider. 

1. There’s no gender equity with alcohol-drinking. Drinking alcohol is riskier for women. 

I’m not saying women and moms shouldn’t enjoy a drink on occasion, and I’m also not saying that drinking alcohol isn’t risky for men, but I want to highlight a fact: alcohol puts women at a greater risk of certain illnesses than men, including breast cancer, stroke, diabetes and liver disease. Learn more here

2. Alcohol and stress

A lot of the “mommy marketing” of alcohol plays on the desire of busy moms to de-stress and wind-down after a long, hard day. We know from local studies that over the past 10 years, the number of women who are drinking in a riskier way has been going up. And even though alcohol is becoming easier to find everywhere we go (e.g. grocery stores, farmers markets), I think it’s important for us to remember that it’s not a normal stress relief product. Alcohol is a drug with potentially addictive properties. In this video, Ann Dowsett-Johnson shares her personal experience with how alcohol changed her life. 

3. Mom-specific considerations 

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding have other alcohol-related effects to consider. 

Pregnancy: September 9 is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a range of effects on a baby that are caused by a mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The effects may include mental, behavioral, physical issues and/or learning disabilities that can range from mild to severe. FASD is the leading cause of cognitive and developmental disability in Canada. Research tells us that the more someone drinks during pregnancy, the more likely their child is to have FASD; but it’s important to note that there is no safe amount or safe time to drink during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding: When a breastfeeding mom has a drink it takes hours for her body to digest the alcohol so that it is not transferred to the baby through her breast milk. Every woman is different, and the time to wait after drinking alcohol and before breastfeeding can vary depending on your body weight, metabolism, and the amount of alcohol consumed. We know that infants who are exposed to alcohol in breast milk can experience impaired motor development, changes in sleep patterns, and low blood sugar. It seems to me that events that promote breastfeeding and drinking at the same time are not taking into consideration these potentially serious consequences, at a disservice to moms and babies. For more information on alcohol and breastfeeding visit Motherisk

If you or someone you know needs help with alcohol and you live in Guelph or Wellington County you can contact HERE 24/7 or your primary health care provider. If you live in Dufferin County, you can talk to your primary health care provider for help. If you would like to speak with a public health nurse about parenting, including questions about alcohol and pregnancy or breastfeeding, please call KIDSLINE at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 3616.

Liz Robson, Manager - Family Health Promotion