Alliance: Link Between Alcohol Marketing, Youth Drinking Demands Stronger Response

An alcohol policy organization is reacting strongly to a research review's conclusion that there is a causal relationship between the marketing of alcohol and youth drinking. The U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance is calling for actions ranging from increased regulation of alcohol advertising to a greater focus within alcohol research on the effects of marketing.

The alliance, made up of individuals and groups involved in alcohol policy at the state and local level, issued a news release this week in response to a research supplement published in the March issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The report examined 11 literature reviews and concluded that youth exposure to alcohol marketing is causally related to youth drinking behavior.

The alliance announced it will be inviting all prevention advocates to a March interactive session in which participants will learn how to put youth alcohol prevention strategies into action at the local level.

The alliance's statement reads in part, “Industry is largely left to self-regulation and voluntary participation in any rules and regulations. However, because industry is more focused on protecting its own interests and has actively fought increased regulation, youth have been left vulnerable and as this study has concluded, more kids have engaged in underage drinking and binge drinking.”

Among its recommendations, the alliance would like to see the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) adopt a renewed focus on this issue in order to stimulate research into alcohol marketing to vulnerable groups.