Facts and figures showing the influence marketing campaigns have on young American drinkers highlight the alarming lengths that the alcohol industry will go to in order to capture the teen market.

The drinking habits of young people in Australia are very similar to their counter parts in the USA. These facts reflect a growing trend by the marketing agencies to specifically target young people, irrespective of the consequences this may have on their health and wellbeing.

• Magazine ads for alcoholic beverages reached more readers who were 12-20 years of age than adult readers in 2001. 1

• According to a 1998 advertising agency study, youths 6 to 17 years of age identified Budweiser’s cartoon frog ads as their favourite, more popular than any ads for Pepsi, Barbie, Snickers, or Nike. 2

• Teenage Americans heard more radio advertising for beer and distilled spirits than did people of legal drinking ages in 2001 and 2002. 3

• Alcohol is a leading cause of death among youth. 4

• Kids only see one public service announcement, usually the alcohol industry’s own responsibility ads, for every 60 alcohol commercials they watch. 5

• More than 66% of teens and 72% of adults say that alcopops appeal more to underage people than to adults of legal drinking age. 6
 
• Nearly 50% of all teens in American have tried an alcopop alcoholic beverage, even if they were under age at the time. 7
 
• 10 magazines with underage audiences of 25% or more accounted for nearly one-third of all alcohol advertising expenditures. 8
 
• In direct violation of the alcohol industry’s own self-regulatory guidelines, Miller and Anheuser-Busch spent $621,991 on television advertisements for Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite, Budweiser and Bud Light on shows where the youth audience exceeded 50%. 9
 
• In direct violation of the alcohol industry’s own self-regulatory guidelines, 960 alcohol industry radio ads were placed on programming where the underage audience was greater than 50%. 10

References:
1. Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, Overexposed: youth a target of alcohol advertising in magazines. September 2002. Craig, F., Garfield, C., Chung, P., and Rathouz, P. Alcohol advertising in magazines and adolescent readership. JAMA; 289:2424-2429, 2003.
2. Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, Television: Alcohol’s Vast Adland, December 2002.
3. Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, Radio daze: alcohol ads tune in underage youth. April 2003.
4. Ninth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health from the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Rockville, MD: USDHHS, Public Health Service, Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Jun 1997. Kann, L., Warren, C., et al., Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 1995. MORB MORTAL WKLY REP CDC SURVEILLANCE SUMMARIES, 45(4):1-84, Sept. 27, 1996.
5. Alcohol Ads: Let’s add a voice of moderation to the mix, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, Sept. 15, 2003.
6. New Trends in Advertising and Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages: Hearing Before the Assembly Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, p. 91 (N.Y. Oct. 22, 2002) (statement of Stacia Murphy, Natl. Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc.).
7. New Trends in Advertising and Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages: Hearing Before the Assembly Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse p. 4 (N.Y. Oct. 22, 2002) (statement of Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, Chair, Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, New York Assembly).
8. CAMY, Id., p. 1.
9. CAMY, Id., p. 12.
CAMY, Id., p. 5.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.
Source: HopeNet Inc., HopeNetworks Inc