The report by Georgetown University's Center on Alcohol Marketing
and Youth, released Wednesday, said the overall number of ads on
network, local and cable television increased to 289,381 in 2002 — a
39 percent jump from the previous year. Industry spending on ads
grew by 22 percent to more than $990 million.
The study found that significant ad increases for distilled
spirits and low-alcohol refreshers such as Smirnoff Ice and Skyy
Blue accounted for much of the ad jump.
Teens were more likely on a per capita basis than adults to have
seen 66,218 of the ads, a 30 percent increase since 2001, according
to the study.
Some of the biggest spenders on such ads were beer companies, led
by Heineken and Miller Lite. All 15 of the shows most popular among
teens included alcohol ads, according to the study. "Survivor,"
"Fear Factor" and "That '70s Show" were among those with the most
ads.
"This dramatic increase in alcohol ads seen by our children in
2002 suggests the problem got worse," said Jim O'Hara, executive
director of the center. "The data demonstrate that the alcohol
industry needs to make major changes in its advertising."
The Washington-based Distilled Spirits Council disagreed, saying
the "vast majority of alcohol ads are viewed by adults and that
self-regulation is working." It noted the center's own report found
teens on average represented just 10 percent of the total audience
for shows with alcohol advertising.
"To make further progress on underage drinking, we must focus on
science-based solutions. Study after study shows that parents and
other adults are the primary influence over a youth's decision
regarding drinking, not advertising," said Peter Cressy, president
of the spirits council.
Under guidelines announced last September, the alcohol industry
said it would voluntarily regulate advertising if a television
show's youth audience composition was 30 percent or more. The center
said that threshold might be too high since teens on average
represent just 13.3 percent of the national TV viewing audience.
It urged a more protective threshold of 15 percent, as
recommended by the Institute of Medicine (news
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web sites). That guideline would allow 77 percent of total
television programming to be eligible for alcohol advertising while
forcing advertisers to pull a substantial number of ads on programs
aimed at youth, the center said.
Related info:
See the National Statistics on Substance Abuse!
Data from the
2003 National Survey on Drug Use
and Health
22 million Americans in 2002
were classified with substance dependence or abuse (9.4 % of
the total population aged 12 or older).
Of these
- 3.2 million were classified
with dependence on or abuse of both alcohol and illicit drugs,
3.9 million were
dependent on or abused illicit drugs but not alcohol,
14.9 million were
dependent on or abused alcohol but not illicit drugs.
Source:
2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
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