For the past two years, a coalition of U.S. attorneys general that has grown to represent 37 states has pressured the alcohol industry to voluntarily adopt stricter marketing policies regarding minors' exposure to alcohol advertising. In May of this year, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., one of the country's largest liquor companies, agreed to cut back on its advertising to people under the age of 21.

By the start of 2008, Beam Global promises to:

• Position its TV, radio and print ads so that no more than 25 percent of the audience is under 21. (The current industry standard is 30 percent.)
• Ensure that no more than 15 percent of the annual average audience for its TV, radio and print advertising is underage.
• Not market "alcopops"--sweetened and flavored alcoholic drinks that are particularly popular with teenage girls.
• Not advertise within 500 feet of schools, playgrounds or places of worship.
• Not market its products on college campuses or in connection with spring break events or use the term "spring break" in any marketing materials.
• Restrict brand images in video games.

This is a good and promising step in a nationwide effort to curb the powerful influence that alcohol advertising has on children. The Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, spearheaded by 56 spouses of current and former governors, joined the attorneys general in calling on other alcohol manufacturers to follow Beam's lead.

Research reveals that children who see and hear alcohol ads are more likely to drink. According to a recent study by RAND, a nonprofit research organization, children in the sixth and seventh grades who are exposed to alcohol advertising at high levels (from television, magazines, in-store displays, and promotional items like T-shirts and posters) were 50 percent more likely to drink than children whose exposure to alcohol advertising is low. Studies by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY), and others underscore the need to reduce youth exposure to alcohol ads.

A recent CAMY study found that from 2001 to 2005, underage youth were 239 times more likely to see an advertisement selling alcohol than one of the industry's responsibility advertisements, designed to educate about the dangers of underage drinking.

"Each year excessive alcohol use kills over 4,000 kids under age 21," according to David Jernigan, CAMY's executive director. "Now we have long-term, peer-reviewed evidence that alcohol ads are contributing to this enormous public health problem. The study shows that reducing teen access to alcohol is only one part of the solution. We must also limit the appeal."

And then there's the Internet. Alcohol Web sites often feature interactive games, cartoons, clothing with logos, and screensavers that are particularly appealing to youth. In 1999, the Federal Trade Commission called on the alcohol industry to "avoid contact that would attract underage consumers" and restrict access to their Web sites. But, as a Feb. 15 letter to Anheuser-Busch by 23 attorneys general points out, underage drinkers can easily access "adult-only" sites by typing in the name, zip code, and date of birth of a person they know who is over 21.

A previous RAND study found that children as young as fourth grade were so familiar with alcohol advertising that they could recite slogans and brand names. "Getting kids to think critically about ads may lessen any effects the ads have," said Rebecca Collins, a RAND senior behavioral scientist.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, young people view more than 40,000 ads per year on television alone, so reducing the powerful effect of clever marketing is not an easy task. But parents who understand the link between advertising and underage drinking can be one step ahead of the game by using these situations as "teachable moments" -- opportunities to talk to their children about alcohol marketing techniques as well as the pitfalls of underage drinking.

--Published August 6, 2007