ROYBAL-ALLARD CALLS FOR HEARINGS ON ALCOHOL ADVERTISING

Today, at a briefing on alcohol advertising and kids, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard called on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to hold hearings on alcohol advertising and its impact on children.

"Children across our nation are bombarded by advertising messages encouraging them to drink alcohol," said Roybal-Allard. "In 2000 alone, the alcohol industry spent approximately $1.4 billion on ads. It is naïve to think that this billion dollar advertising effort isn't reaching our kids and influencing them. It is time for Congress to tackle this issue head-on and examine what effect alcohol ads have on children."

At today's briefing, a variety of television ads for alcohol products were played. George Hacker, Director of the Alcohol Policies Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, discussed how the ads use youth-oriented music, party scenes, and messages implying that drinking makes one more popular and more appealing to the opposite sex.

In addition, a display of "alcopops" - the new, youth-oriented, malt-based beverages -- and hard liquor bottles showcased how the packaging and labeling of the two types of alcohol are strikingly similar. However, "alcopops" can be advertised on network television because they are malt-based beverages, not hard liquor.

"Recently, liquor producers and brewers began a substantial television advertising campaign to promote 'alcopops' or 'malternatives,'" said Roybal-Allard. "Many of these, such as Smirnoff Ice and Bacardi Silver, carry liquor brand names, even though they contain no distilled spirits. This new $450 million advertising blitz is seen by many as a backdoor way for liquor companies to circumvent the television network's ban on liquor advertising."

A recent survey of teens, presented by Marty McGough, consultant with the Global Strategy Group, showed that, of the 750 teens surveyed (ages 12-18), 73% have seen ads for alcoholic beverages. And, despite the liquor industry's claims that they are not targeting an under-21 audience, many of their ads reach the teen market. The Global Strategy Group survey revealed that 62% of teens had seen ads for Smirnoff Ice and 40% had seen ads for Bacardi Silver.

Finally, Wendy Hamilton, President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), used the discussion of alcohol advertisements to call for an industry-wide implementation of MADD's guidelines for responsible alcohol advertising.

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Congresswoman Roybal-Allard
Washington, D.C., Office: 2330 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Phone: (202) 225-1766. Fax: (202) 226-0350.
District Office: 255 E. Temple St., Ste. 1860, Los Angeles, CA 90012-3334. Phone: (213) 628-9230. Fax: (213) 628-8578.