A new study shows that U.S. teens see more television commercials for alcohol than for jeans, sneakers, or other teen products, the New York Times reported Dec. 18.For the study, the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University studied the 208,909 alcohol commercials on television in 2001. They found that nearly 25 percent of the ads were viewed mainly by teenagers, rather than adults.
Furthermore, 12- to 20-year-olds viewed more commercials for beer, malt beverages, and other alcoholic drinks than products marketed directly to young people, such as gum, snacks, and juice.
"No one is policing what the industry is doing, and the industry is in denial," said David A. Kessler, dean of the School of Medicine at Yale and an adviser to CAMY.
The alcohol industry uses voluntary guidelines to minimize the number of ads seen by those under age 21. The guidelines say that ads should not air during programs where at least half of the audience is underage.
"We do not condone illegal underage drinking under any circumstances," said Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute. "This industry does not, and never has, targeted our advertising to people who can't legally buy our products."
However, the report found that alcohol ads ran during 13 of the 15 most popular shows for teenagers, including "Seventh Heaven," "Gilmore Girls, " "Dark Angel," "That '70s Show," "Friends," "E.R.," and sporting events.
Jim O'Hara, executive director of CAMY, said the industry guidelines are "bogus." He added, "These standards do not protect youth from exposure and overexposure to alcohol advertising and marketing."
The report's findings were submitted to the Federal Trade Commission with a request to review current alcohol advertising guidelines.
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