With more alcohol ads on TV, tactics draw fire

The alcohol industry poured money into TV advertising in 2002, with many of the ads reaching people not old enough to drink, a university study says.

The report by Georgetown University’s Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, released Wednesday, said the overall number of ads on network, local and cable television increased to 289,381 in 2002 -- a 39% jump from the previous year. Industry spending on ads grew by 22% to more than $990 million.

The study found that significant increases in ads for distilled spirits and low-alcohol refreshers such as Smirnoff Ice and Skyy Blue accounted for much of the surge. Teens were more likely than adults, on a per capita basis, to have seen 66,218 of the ads, a 30% increase since 2001, according to the study.

Some of the biggest spenders on such ads were beer companies, led by Heineken and Miller Lite. All 15 of the shows most popular among teens included alcohol ads, according to the study. “Survivor,” “Fear Factor” and “That ‘70s Show” were among those with the most ads.

“This dramatic increase in alcohol ads seen by our children in 2002 suggests the problem got worse,” said Jim O’Hara, executive director of the center. “The data demonstrate that the alcohol industry needs to make major changes in its advertising.”

The Washington-based Distilled Spirits Council disagreed, saying that the “vast majority of alcohol ads are viewed by adults and that self-regulation is working.” It noted that the center’s own report found teens on average represented just 10% of the total audience for shows with alcohol advertising.

“To make further progress on underage drinking, we must focus on science-based solutions. Study after study shows that parents and other adults are the primary influence over a youth’s decision regarding drinking, not advertising,” said Peter Cressy, president of the spirits council.

Under guidelines announced last September, the alcohol industry said it would voluntarily regulate advertising if a television show’s youth audience composition was 30% or more. The center said that threshold might be too high since teens on average represent just 13.3% of the national TV viewing audience.

It urged a more protective threshold of 15%, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine. That would allow 77% of programming to be eligible for alcohol ads while forcing advertisers to pull a substantial number of ads on programs aimed at youth, the center said.