Radio Alcohol Ads Still Reaching Youth

A new study by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that youth ages 12-20 were more likely per capita than adults to hear 32 percent of alcohol advertising placements.

According to the study, almost one out of 11 alcohol radio ads in 75 markets across the nation in 2009 failed to comply with the industry's voluntary standard for the placement of advertising. In 2003, trade groups for beer and distilled spirits committed to placing alcohol ads in media venues only when underage youth comprise less than or equal to 30 percent of the audience, since 30 percent of the audience is 20 years old or younger. The CAMY analysis found that 9 percent of the ads in 75 markets that account for almost 50 percent of radio listeners age 12 and older failed to meet the industry standards.

Based on its study, CAMY stated that it supports calls by The National Research Council, the Institute of Medicine and 24 state attorneys general that the industry implements a more stringent standard and meet a “proportional” 15 percent placement standard, given the fact that the group most at risk for underage drinking – 12 to 20 year-olds – is approximately 15 percent of the U.S. population.

“A nine percent failure rate for an already weak standard means that a significant number of young people are being overexposed to alcohol advertising on the radio,” said Dr. David Jernigan, CAMY director in a news release. “Reducing the voluntary standard to 15 percent would go a long way to keeping our young people safe and away from the undue influence of alcohol marketing.”

For this report, CAMY analyzed alcohol advertisements placed on the radio in the 75 local markets in the United States in 2009 for which full-year data from a consistent survey methodology were available. These markets represent 46.5 percent of the U.S. population age 12 and above.