New Study Indicates That More Alcohol Ads Air When Children Are Watching
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November 6, 2009
A study published in the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) concludes that the most popular cable TV shows for children seem to have the most alcohol advertising. The study, conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles and the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY), researched 600,000 alcohol ads aired on cable TV between 2001 and 2006 and found that shows with the highest percentage of viewers aged 12 to 20 had the largest number of alcohol ads. Ads for beer, liquor, and “alcopops” increased in connection with the youth audience percentage, but wine ads dwindled. “This research suggests that ads are aimed at groups that include a disproportionate number of teens and that the alcohol industry’s voluntary self-monitoring is not working to reduce adolescent exposure to ads,” said CAMY Director David Jernigan.
The article can be found on the AJPH Web site.