Alcohol Ads Target Teens

ATLANTA -- A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that out of 67,404 beer, wine and liquor advertising spots in 104 markets, 49 percent of them were aired during youth-oriented programs, reported The Associated Press.

The findings go against a self-imposed regulation initiated in 2003 by beer and liquor companies that stated that advertisements would not be run in any radio program where 30 percent or more of the audience is under the legal drinking age of 21.

The study -- which also found that alternative rock and hip-hop programs had the largest percentage of alcohol-based advertising -- was the first to be conducted since the ban in that year, according to the AP report.

Industry officials are opposing the study, which collected data in Summer 2004, less than a year after the regulation was enforced, arguing that long-standing advertising contracts were not yet expired at the time the study was being conducted, the AP reported.

The study focused on the top 25 brands of alcoholic beverages with the most radio spending. Arbitron Ratings information was used to find the audience demographics.
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