“How Alcohol Ads Target Teens”
By Nina Riccio
They’re cute. They’re funny. But did you ever think that those funny, sometimes annoying frogs croaking the name of a beer could be dangerous to you?
Jesse, age 20, has been sober for about 4 years. But when he was drinking heavily, his choice of booze depended on his image. "It couldnʼt be just any brand. Bud was OK-it has a cool image. Thereʼs another brand thatʼs a lot cheaper, but no one would ever bring that to a party. It tasted alright, but the can just looks stupid."
The makers of Budweiser have spent millions of dollars for Jesse, and others like him, to think Budweiser was a “cool” beer. In 2000, for example, brewers spent $770 million on TV ads and another $15 million on radio commercials. Then, add another couple hundred million more for promotions and sponsorship.
Some alcohol products feature college kids on spring break. Most manufacturers have their own web sites, where viewers can log on and play games or enter contests and win prizes.
Jesse now understands that he played right into the hands of alcohol manufacturers. "Bud seems particularly shameful because they really play up to kids," he says. But they’re certainly not he only ones. " Alcopops, like the hard lemonades, are aimed at the people that donʼt like the taste of alcohol. They are like soda.
1. Through her conversation with Jesse, what does author, Nina Riccio, learn about alcohol manufacturers?
a. Anheuser Busch – the maker of Budweiser – is the manufacturer that portrays the “coolest image.”
b. Brewers spent $770 million on TV ads and another $15 million on radio commercials.
c. That Jesse feels he played right into the hands of alcohol manufacturers – Anheuser Busch in particular – because they really play up to kids.
d. Image and appeal are the only factors that promote alcohol products to youth.
2. In the phrase, “play it up to kids,” what does “play it up” mean?
a. Excite.
b. Entertain.
c. Promote.
d. Respond.
Who’s in Charge Here?
The makers of beer, wine coolers, and alcopops deny that they market to teens. In fact, they point out , they spend millions of dollars on public service announcements telling underage kids not to drink. They put up billboards telling drinkers to " drink responsibly," or others admonishing drinking and driving. They contribute to the community groups and give grocers cards with tips to spot a fake ID. But the money they spend on these programs is just a small fraction of what is spent on overall advertising. In fact, its estimated that for each public service message a kid hears about drinking responsibly, he/she is likely to see 25 to 50 ads promoting beer or wine.
The bottom line in business is that the more you advertise, the higher your sales. Studies show that the more theyʼre exposed to beer ads, the more likely teens are to have positive feelings about drinking, and the more likely they will be to drink as adults.
Whether liquor manufacturers are intentionally pitching their ads to teens is not important. The fact is, teenagers are watching and absorbing the message that drinking is fun, cool, and a popular thing to do. "You donʼt have to be a rocket scientist to understand that the intended - or unintended - consequences of these youthful liquor ads is that young people are going to drink more," says Dr. Edward Jacobs, a Seattle pediatrician and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on substance abuse. A company might say that theyʼre trying to get viewers to remember the products name. But if thatʼs the case, it seems unnecessary to spend millions per ad on directors, animations, and actors. "Why not simply just put the name on a billboard?" asks Dr. Jacobs.
What’s the Big Deal?
So why is it such a problem if a teenager starts drinking before the age of 21? Besides the fact that it is against the law, studies show that teens that begin drinking before the age of 21 are more likely to become alcoholics. Alcohol is the most used and abused drug by adolescents - more than marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and pills combined. Students with grades below a C average are three times more likely to be drinkers as apposed to students with A averages. Alcohol is a risk factor in the three leading causes of death among youth: accidents, suicide, and homicide. Needless to say, drinking encourages reckless behavior.
The major problem of drinking is not addiction," says Dr. Jacobs. “It is the consequence of use - the auto crashes, the lousy grades, the family problems, and the sexual risk behaviors.”
3. Consequences of starting to drink alcohol before age 21 include all of the following except:
a. Having an increased risk of becoming an alcoholic.
b. Drinking encourages reckless behavior.
c. Having an increased risk of all types of cancer.
d. Engaging in sexual risk behaviors.
“I wouldnʼt say that kids would never drink if there were no ads," says 14 year old Justin, freshman at a suburban school in Connecticut. " But the ads sure give kids a sense that drinking is just something you do; that itʼs a part of normal life. Whatʼs mainstreamed is what we see on TV.”
Dr. Jacobs agrees. "The ads send a uniform message: you can’t get maximum pleasure from an activity without alcohol."
To their credit, the major TV stations have voluntarily banned ads for hard liquor (rum, vodka, scotch, etc.) for years. Earlier this year NBC announced that it would end the ban and allow ads for hard liquor. Months of criticism from legislators, the public, and advocacy groups forced the station to change that decision. Some say that TV stations should ban the ads for beer and wine coolers, or at least monitor them to be sure theyʼre not so youth oriented. It’s not as far-fetched as it seems. Sweden and Norway prohibited all advertising to children under 12. In Greece, commercials for toys can run only at certain hours, and Belgium forbids the running of commercials during childrens programs and for five minutes before and after. Lawmakers in these countries understand that the very young are not yet mature enough to make critical choices when it comes to what they see advertised.
"Ads make it seem as if drinking is a very casual thing," says Justin. "Obviously, beer ads show people enjoying themselves. They donʼt show the negative consequences, like drunk driving or date rape. But sometimes, you know, it seems as if half my high school is in rehab."
4. What do you think the author, Nina Riccio, wants the reader to believe after reading this article?
a. The intended or unintended consequences of the youth-targeted alcohol advertisements is going to persuade young people to drink more.
b. The alcohol manufacturers should use billboards rather than television to market their product.
c. Alcohol is the drug most used or abused by adolescents.
d. The major problem associated with drinking is not addiction but the consequences of its use.