The smartphone in your pocket has quietly become a bottle shop, according to the research led by Dr Aimee Brownbill, an ARC Early Career Industry Fellow at the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education and The University of Queensland.

Dr Brownbill’s latest study reveals a startling reality: Australians are now exposed to almost 40,000 alcohol advertisements on Facebook and Instagram annually, with every phone serving as a direct gateway to alcohol purchase and rapid home delivery.

The Data Behind the Drinks

Dr Aimee Brownbill’s nationally representative survey of 2,037 Australian adults has uncovered concerning patterns in how alcohol delivery apps are reshaping consumption behaviours. The research demonstrates that 39% of people who consumed alcohol in the past year had it delivered to their homes, with an identical percentage receiving their orders within two hours.

“Online alcohol advertising acts as a storefront, with every phone a bottle shop,” Dr Brownbill explains in her research findings. This immediacy is particularly troubling when examining vulnerable populations.

The study categorised participants into three risk groups based on their alcohol use patterns. Dr Aimee Brownbill’s analysis found that people likely experiencing alcohol dependence showed markedly different engagement with alcohol delivery apps compared to low-risk users.

The Click-to-Drink Pipeline

Perhaps the most significant finding from Dr Brownbill’s research concerns the collapse of traditional barriers between advertising and purchase. Her survey data reveals that 39% of alcohol advertisements on Facebook and Instagram now feature buttons directly linking to online sale platforms.

Among those using alcohol delivery apps, 34% clicked through online advertisements to make purchases. However, Dr Aimee Brownbill’s detailed analysis shows this figure jumps to 51% among people likely experiencing alcohol dependence, compared to just 23% of low-risk individuals.

The research also uncovered that individuals at high risk were nearly twice as likely to order alcohol after seeing advertisements online compared to those at low risk—29% versus 16%.

Food Apps Become Alcohol Retailers

Dr Brownbill’s investigation extended beyond traditional alcohol delivery apps to examine food delivery platforms. The findings show that 25% of alcohol consumers have received alcohol through services like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Menulog.

These food delivery apps expose users to frequent alcohol advertising, with 40% of high-risk individuals reporting they “often or always” see alcohol ads on these platforms. Dr Aimee Brownbill’s survey found that 68% of food delivery app users expressed at least some concern about this targeted marketing.

The Data-Driven Targeting Problem

One of Dr Brownbill’s most troubling discoveries involves how personal data fuels alcohol marketing. Her research revealed that 123 alcohol companies shared data about a person attempting to reduce high-risk alcohol use with Facebook’s marketing algorithm to drive targeted advertising.

This data-driven approach to alcohol delivery apps creates a sophisticated system where vulnerable individuals may be specifically targeted. Dr Aimee Brownbill’s analysis shows that people likely experiencing alcohol dependence were significantly more likely to use on-demand delivery platforms compared to those at low risk.

Rapid Delivery, Increased Risk

Speed matters in Dr Brownbill’s findings. Her research demonstrates that individuals at high risk are more than twice as likely to receive rapid alcohol delivery compared to low-risk users—55% versus 24%.

The motivations for using alcohol delivery apps also differed significantly between risk groups. While buying in bulk for better value was the most common reason overall (34%), Dr Aimee Brownbill found that 29% of all users sought rapid delivery, with this figure rising among vulnerable populations.

A Call for Change

Despite widespread use of these services, Dr Brownbill’s survey revealed overwhelming community support for reform. Australian adults showed remarkable consensus on protective measures:

• 78% support stopping alcohol companies from sending push notifications
• 77% favour preventing companies from using personal online activity to market alcohol
• 82% support preventing use of children’s online activity for alcohol marketing
• 80% endorse health warnings on all alcohol retail websites
• 79% back strong penalties for companies advertising to people who have opted out

Only 3-5% of survey participants opposed these measures, demonstrating clear public appetite for change.

Dr Aimee Brownbill’s research provides compelling evidence that the digital transformation of alcohol sales requires urgent policy attention. As one survey participant noted, “This was a very good survey”—recognition that Dr Brownbill has illuminated an issue many Australians recognise but few have quantified.

The intersection of alcohol delivery apps, data-driven advertising, and vulnerable populations creates new pathways for harm that existing regulations were never designed to address. Dr Aimee Brownbill’s work offers both the evidence base and the community mandate for policymakers to act.

Source: Fare