New Study Finds Radio Alcohol Ads Heard More By Children
By Paul Ziobro
WASHINGTON – While a study released Wednesday found that children and teenagers are more prone to hear alcohol radio advertisements than adults, the manager of seven Connecticut radio stations said he airs such ads only on broadcasts geared toward listeners 25 and older.
“Radio Daze,” a report by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University, found that in 2001 and 2002 youths ages 12 to 20 were exposed to 8 percent more beer advertising, 12 percent more advertising for “malternative” and “alcopop” beverages-such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Smirnoff Ice-and 14 percent more advertising for hard liquor than adults. Wine advertisers, however, exposed youths to significantly less radio advertising than adults, showing how advertisers can target an adult audience without overexposing youths, the study found.
“The fact that kids under 21 hear more beer and distilled spirits ads than people 21 and older should concern everyone who cares about our children,” CAMY executive director Jim O’Hara said.
John Ryan, general manager of Cox Radio’s seven Connecticut stations, said he permits alcohol advertisements only on stations that target adults who are at least 25.
“We would never take liquor, beer or wine advertising on a contemporary hit radio station that would hit people 15 to 18 years of age,” Ryan said.
Cox’s general sales manager Scott Summerlin said all songs played on the adult contemporary station WEZN-FM Star 99.9 have been tested to appeal to an audience 25 years and older.
In light of the study, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. said he intends to monitor underage drinking trends and alcohol ads targeting youth. Dodd said he might hold a hearing on the issue.
“In the fight against underage drinking, we all have to live up to our responsibility,” Dodd said. “These new findings…tell me that the industry advertisers need to do more to prevent the marketing of alcohol product to children. We intend to hold advertisers accountable.”
Lobbyists for alcohol manufacturers discounted the study. Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute, a national association for the brewing industry, said illegal underage drinking in America is declining.
“Some organizations … must ignore these facts in order to generate headlines from their studies,” Becker said. “The CAMY study uses advertising market data but interprets it in questionable ways.”
Becker said that although adolescents are bombarded with alcohol advertisements through radio and television, 83 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds are not “current drinkers.” He said parents have more to do with whether their children drink than advertising does.
A 2001 Household Survey on Drug Abuse released last week by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that among youths 12 to 17, an estimated 17.3 percent used alcohol in the previous month.
Frank Coleman, spokesman for the Distilled Spirits Council, said that although a greater percentage of underage listeners hear radio advertisements, the actual number of listeners over 21 who hear the advertisements far outweighs those below the drinking age.
“It’s blatantly misleading,” Coleman said. “They are shameful for misleading people and senators.”
The CAMY study also criticized federal oversight of radio alcohol advertisements, saying the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) failed to follow up on its 1999 recommendations to reduce youth exposure.
“We think, for instance, if the FTC takes a look at its recommendations from 1999, they will see that the industry really hasn’t followed through on any of the FTC recommendations to limit youth exposure,” O’Hara said.
Lee Peeler, deputy director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said that several manufacturers, including Coors Brewing Co., heeded the FTC’s advice and established a monitoring agreement with the Better Business Bureau.
Earlier CAMY studies found that youths also were overexposed to television and magazine ads for alcohol.
Published in The Hour, in Connecticut.
