A new report by Camy (the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth), based on research by Johns Hopkins University, concludes that alcohol producers frequently don’t adhere to their own voluntary rules concerning the exposure of children to radio advertisements. This rule entails that alcohol advertisements may not be broadcasted to an audience, which consists for at least 30% of minors. Almost 1 out of 11 alcohol radio ads in 75 markets across the United States in 2009 failed to comply with the industry’s voluntary standard.
The research consisted of an analysis of alcohol advertisements placed on radio in the 75 local markets in the United States in 2009 for which full-year data from a consistent survey methodology was available. These markets represent approximately 46.5 percent of the U.S. population age 12 and above. Among the findings of the analysis from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore where the following key points:
* Approximately 9 percent of all alcohol product advertisements aired on programming with underage audiences in violation of the industry’s 30 percent standard. These advertisements generated 18 percent of youth exposure to alcohol advertising.
* Three brands (Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite) placed close to half of the noncompliant ads.
* Close to one-third (32%) of advertising placements occurred when proportionately more youth were listening than adults age 21 and above.
* These overexposing ads generated more than half of youth exposure to radio advertising for alcohol in 2009.
* In the majority of markets measured by Arbitron’s new Portable People Meter™ technology in 2009, girls ages 12 to 20 were more likely than boys in the same age group to be exposed to alcohol advertising for alcopops, distilled spirits, and wine.
Read the full report at the CAMY website.