Alcohol-industry sponsored "responsible drinking" messages are usually overlooked or ignored by teens, according to researchers at Brigham Young University.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported July 7 that researchers tracked the eye movements of middle-school students (average age: 13) who were instructed to read a series of alcohol ads that included "responsible drinking" messages, albeit in small print.

The teens spent an average of seven seconds looking at each ad, but only 0.35 seconds looking at the warnings. Bottles, product names, models and headlines got most of their attention. Asked about the moderation messages immediately after viewing the ads, most youths could not remember the general thrust of the warnings.

"Basically, the adolescents, they don't really see the responsibility message," said lead researcher Steven Thomsen. "Those who see it, do (so) for a minimal time."

"It's nice the responsibility messages are included. The question is, 'Are they effective?'" Thomsen said. "If they are not effective, what can we do to make them more effective?"

A spokesperson for the Distilled Spirits Council, an industry trade group, said the study was flawed because it used teen subjects, whereas the ads are intended for adults.

The study is published in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.