Partner or Foe? The Alcohol Industry, Youth Alcohol Problems, and Alcohol Policy Strategies

"Children don't profit from the production, sale or distribution of alcohol, adults do. When we ask who profits from the sale of alcohol to children it is clear that the alcohol industry benefits when children drink, and only the alcohol industry," says Richard Yoast Ph.D., Director of the American Medical Association Office of Alcohol and other Drug Abuse, announcing the release of The Alcohol Industry: Partner or Foe? The newly released policy brief examines techniques used by the alcohol industry to undermine prevention efforts and recruit a new generation of drinkers. James Mosher, J.D. a leading expert in the field of alcohol policy and analysis, wrote the policy brief for the American Medical Association.

The Alcohol Industry: Partner or Foe? focuses on the internal and external forces driving the alcohol industry. It contains a brief lesson on economics of alcohol, especially the customer base the brewing industry must retain to insure its survival, then turns a critical eye on the so-called "abuse prevention" programs sponsored by the industry. The paper examines how alcohol is marketed to Americans using the "4Ps" of marketing, product, placement, price and promotion. Some of the other tactics outlined in the policy brief include:

Refocus the blame for alcohol abuse and misuse on the user, parents and even children
Create the public impression that "everyone drinks" when statistics reflect the majority of American adults consume little or no alcohol
Marketing alcohol to youth, knowing that it motivates underage drinkers as well as those over age 21.
High profile community support plays a significant role in normalizing alcohol consumption. The alcohol industry purchases the credibility of the groups/causes they support.

The report is available for download in Acrobat PDF format (file size is 906k) at the URL below. (PDF file requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.) A limited number of print copies are also available; call 312-464-4618 for information.

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/388/partner_foe_brief.pdf

246K

Publication Year: 2002

Publisher

American Medical Association (AMA)
Physicians' Campaign on Family Violence
515 North State Street, Floor 15
Chicago, il 60610-4320