












Talk to
your Kids
about Alcohol--Info from the NIAAA
Drinking by college students contributes to 500,000
injuries annually.
-
National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, April 9, 2002, Task Force
on College Drinking
Message Boards
Take Action Tools:
Fact Sheet on
Alcohol Ads-from our friends at CSPI.
Underage and Problemdrinkers best
customers..
Economic Report-Problem Drinkers, Underage
consumption---Good customers for the Alcohol Industry!
Children of Parents with Alcohol& Drug Addiction
GET UPDATED FACT
SHEETS-Alcohol & Addiction
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Coors
Sued for Heavy Promotions of
Beer and Non-disclosure of risks after the
death of one woman's son. The
lawsuit, filed last Wednesday in Washoe County District Court, seeks
unspecified damages. It accused Coors of "glorifying a culture of youth,
sex and glamour while hiding the dangers of alcohol abuse and
addiction."
Big
Alcohol (Coors Beer) is facing yet another legal action.
It is so surprising that these are "just now" being filed. It also
is not surprising that alcohol companies are placing the blame onto
"parents", who clearly cannot compete with
billions spent in marketing by alcohol companies. More money is being
spent by big alcohol marketing, and it is reaching young people
according this recent report by CAMY.
One
Peter Heart Study for CAMY reveals a strong concern by parents on
the negative effect alcohol advertising brings to their kids.
Perhaps the 18 million American's currently in need of Alcohol
treatment or their family members have finally
said "enough is enough".
Regardless, it is time for this industry to "get responsible". Predatory
marketing to vulnerable populations may be good for business, but is
tragic to the 100,000 people who die each year as a result of consuming
their product.
Coors
spends about $180 million annually on
ads, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
It is quite amazing to see the denial of this industry. To
continue to claim that they are "appalled" at the idea that anyone would
accuse them of marketing to youth reminds of Tobacco and the the
continued claims that nicotine was not addictive. Alcohol use is
socially acceptable, as most who drink do so "responsibly".
However most of alcohol consumed is done by a small portion of people,
sick people, who produce fantastic spread sheets no doubt in board rooms
across the country. The strategy of this industry is clearly
directed to sustain and blame. To date the strategy is working, or
so it seems.

Mr. Mckennan, of Nevada, the attorney for the Pisco family, is
stepping out into the 'forbidden" truth, we hear, yet rarely see action
taken on. One truth that millions know all to well are the predatory
like practices of the alcohol industry for revenues and profits, in
trade for human life. The right to advertise is surely valid,
however the right to place certain populations (those consuming the most
alcohol) in a "golden egg" direct line of fire is cruel, deadly, and
deceitful.
$184.6 billion in costs to the U.S. due to alcohol consumption in the
U.S according to this report from
NIAAA
Corporate shareholders, expect nothing less from the alcohol industry,
profits. The marketing campaigns are the result of employees
"doing their jobs" to make money for companies like Coors. The
Alcohol industry reaps $23 Billion a year in sales to those under 21.
The costs of alcohol consumption are the burden of the tax payers
(regardless of their drinking on non drinking of this product) and
are estimated at 185 The Sexy ads, and Half truths, mask the truth, and
the Addictive and often fatal properties of alcohol. So if
Coors has not noticed their marketing targeting youth, then surely they
have recognized the ever growing profits their company receives.
Please remember, alcohol is a drug. Alcoholics and Underage
drinkers are vital customers.
What do you do to maintain a valued customer base, while protecting
your "Lilly White" corporate image? You tell Half Truths, and
disregard 100,000 Alcohol related deaths each year. You blame
parents for not having the power or "know how" to ward off Billions
spent to command deadly behaviors. You blame the kids, the
schools, the alcoholics. Blame anyone, but never ever accept your
role in these injuries and deaths.

Can you imagine if another legal drug, had this same
ability? Throw in the control and political strong arm those
billions in profits have given them with our law makers, and you have
one hell of a cocktail for consumers honestly working to stop these
tragedies with research based policy.
Don't
Believe the "Hype" and "Half Truths"
"Drink Responsibly" are the orders of the $130 Billion a year in profit
Industries selling and marketing alcoholic beverages in the U.S.
What is not so surprising, to many of us, but startling to others, is
the fact that more than 10% of America can't "Drink Responsibly".
They have no capacity to consume alcohol and remain healthy and engaged
in life. They are people who have a disease, as declared by the
AMA in 1956. Alcoholism (Now often called Alcohol Dependence) is
not a "choice" but an illness. This illness is remarkably
receptive to recovery programs. The problem? Funding for the
marketing, promotion, and political power this industry needs supercedes
the health and safety of American's today.
Alcohol is not sexy for people vulnerable to Alcoholism (Alcohol
Dependence) or many placed in "saturated" communities. Alcohol
outlets, heavy promotion, little access to critical health information
related to alcohol, and genetics often determine a persons course of
life, or death today.
Claim from Pisco Suit Against Coors.
Coors targets the
youth of America with false images of conquest, achievement and
success that are reckless, willful and a deliberate disregard for
the impact of illegal alcohol consumption by underage youths,
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Beer Industry Info:
Coors spends $200 million a
year on advertising.
7
Beer manufacturers spent more than $1 billion on print,
broadcast and outdoor advertising in 2001. Spending on other
promotions (sponsorship, product placement payment, point-of-sale
ads, discounts, and brand-name apparel) is estimated at an
additional $2 billion.
8
Alcohol industry income from underage drinkers is estimated
at $22 billion a year, most of it from beer.
9
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Addiction to alcohol and drugs is the number one cause of preventable
illness and death in America.
Sadly, more than 9 in 10 physicians fail
to
spot a drug or alcohol problem in adults, and more than 4 in 10 miss a
problem in teenagers.
So what gives? We hear all of this
information, and where is the action to reduce these "known harms" to
our children?
I think that is exactly what
Each year $4.5 billion dollars is spent by the alcohol industry to
market its products. Minors are exposed heavily to marketing with
youthful themes and images, which are often placed in media with a large
youth audience.
National Academy of Sciences study on underage drinking, which
estimated the social costs at $53 billion a year, urged that the alcohol
industry "should refrain from marketing practices that have substantial
underage appeal" and that the entertainment industry should not
glamorize or promote alcohol consumption in movie, TV show or music that
has a large underage audience.
Marin Institute and has info and history of Coors
marketing targeted to youth:
The Coors promotion of "Scary Movie 3" shows exactly why those and
other recommendations should be followed. Coors officials say their
"Scary Movie 3" promotion falls within the FTC's voluntary guidelines.
If so, those guidelines are useless. (We'll save Coors' irresponsible
selection of rocker Kid Rock, another teen favorite, as its pitchman for
a future rant.)
Scary Beer Ads Campaign Fact
Sheet
What's so scary about Scary Movie 3? It promotes
beer to youth.
Go to
www.CoorsTwins.com and send a message to Coors: "Stop Targeting
Youth."
Key Facts
Coors/ Scary Movie 3 Co-Promotion
What Coors says:
"This October, the Twins will be appearing in Scary Movie 3
and everywhere beer is sold!"
"The Twins are so hot, it's scary!"
"[This co-promotion] is supported by national media buys: TV and
radio"
Coors placed its Coors/ Scary Movie 3 ad on Monday Night
Football.
Young People and Movies
"Frequent and young moviegoers are a driving force in ticket sales":
1
60% of frequent moviegoers are between the ages of 18 and 20.
12 - 17 year olds are almost twice as likely to be frequent
moviegoers (at least once per month) as are those 18 and older.
Underage Drinking
Alcohol is the #1 drug of choice for youth.
2
Beer is the preferred alcoholic beverage among young people.
3
The average age when youth first try alcohol is 11 years for boys
and 13 years for girls.
4
Alcohol is a leading cause of death among young people. It
contributes to adolescent motor vehicle crashes, suicide, date rape, and
family and school problems.
5
Costs associated with underage drinking are estimated at $53
billion per year.
6
Notes:
1
Motion Picture Association of America [http://www.mpaa.org]
2National
Research Council and Institute of Medicine (2003). Reducing Underage
Drinking: A Collective Responsibility. Committee on Developing a
Strategy to Reduce and Prevent Underage Drinking, Richard J. Bonnie and
Mary Ellen O'Connell, Editors. Board of Children, Youth, and Families,
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington,
DC: The National Academies Press.
3 Eigen,
L. D. (1991). Alcohol Practices, Policies, and Potentials of American
Colleges and Universities. Office for Substance Abuse Prevention White
Paper. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
4
American Academy of Pediatrics (1998)
5
Public Health Service, Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health
Administration, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
(1997)
6 NAS
report (2003)
7
Competitive Market Research
8 NAS
report, page 135
9 NAS
report, 2003.

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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