Marin Institute Publishes New Guide For Regulating Alcohol Advertising

Critical Tool for Advocates and Policymakers to Protect Youth

From Marin Institute - Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog, today released the country’s first guide to restricting out-of-home (OOH) alcohol advertising. The guide will help policymakers draft effective state and local laws to minimize youth exposure to ubiquitous alcohol advertising in the 21st Century.

“Decades of research and common sense tell us that the more often youth are exposed to alcohol ads, the more likely they are to drink,” stated Marin Institute’s Research and Policy Director Michele Simon. “Marin Institute’s new guide offers new tools to local and state advocates and lawmakers to enact legally-defensible policies to protect youth from harmful messages that lead to problem drinking.”

Out-of-home advertising encompasses traditional billboards, ads plastered on public transit vehicles, buildings and “street furniture” such as newspaper stands and kiosks, as well as new high-tech options like video display terminals, digital billboards, and ambient advertising. Spending on such advertising venues grew to over $8 billion dollars in 2008, with the alcohol industry being one of the largest purchasers.

To read the complete press release and to download a copy of the guide click here.

Report: Alcohol Laws Save Lives

It is estimated that zero-tolerance and purchase/possession laws save 732 lives each year.

From Join Together - Laws that prevent alcohol purchases and possession by youth are the most effective at preventing drunk-driving fatalities, according to a new report that also praises as effective license suspensions for underage alcohol offenses and zero-tolerance laws for drivers under 21 found with alcohol in their system.

HealthDay News reported April 6 that researcher James C. Fell of the Pacific Institute on Research and Evaluation estimated that zero-tolerance and purchase/possession laws save 732 lives each year, and that another 165 lives could be saved annually if all states adopted the most effective laws.

'Use-and-lose' laws cut alcohol-related traffic crashes by 5 percent, according to the study, which looked at national databases on drunk driving and six state laws aimed at reducing underage drinking and four other laws that addressed drunk driving in general.

To read the complete story visit Join Together here.

Spring is in the Air: Underage Drinking Prevention in Stanislaus County

Programs take aim at teens:
Proms, grad nights can lead to drinking

From the Modesto Bee - Spring is when the weather gets warmer, the sun shines brighter and flowers blossom.

It's also a time for high school proms, senior trips and graduation, all occasions in which some teens celebrate with alcohol.

To combat the surge in teen drinking over the next few months, law enforcement and school officials have increased their efforts to educate students about the risks of underage drinking. High schools tackle the problem in a variety of ways, from guest speakers and health fairs to assemblies and the "Every 15 Minutes" program, where fake DUI deaths or car accidents are staged near campus.

To read the complete story in the Modesto Bee click here.

To learn more about what can be done by young people and their families to prevent risky behaviors during end of the school year celebrations visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) Health Information Network here.

For information about countywide Party Patrol efforts visit BHRS' Crowd Project website.

Study: Alcohol Images Increase Consumption

"Money, not morality, is the principle of commerce and commercial nations." -Thomas Jefferson

From Marin Institute - There have been numerous studies evaluating the media’s influence and portrayal of alcoholic beverages. But until now, there has never been research conducted on whether alcohol in commercials, television or the movies have an actual effect on drinking behavior.

A new study published in Oxford Journals: Alcohol and Alcoholism shows that alcohol images directly influence drinking. Participants of the study increased alcohol consumption when watching films and commercials featuring alcohol.

The study’s findings are timely, considering Absolut Vodka’s recent ad which ran during the Grammy Awards, reaching a primetime audience of underage youth. Paris-based, global alcohol giant Pernod Ricard was the first to disregarded the long-established voluntary liquor ad ban on U.S. TV.

The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) maintains an up-to-date gallery of print and television alcohol advertising. To view the gallery click here.

To view CAMY's recent report "Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising on Television, 2001 to 2007" click here.

Shoulder Tap Operations: Think Twice About Buying Alcohol for Minors

25 arrested in Stanislaus County on suspicion of furnishing alcohol to a minor.

From the Modesto Bee - Authorities say some adults still are buying booze for minors, so more than 50 law enforcement officials hit the streets Saturday in Stanislaus County and 11 other Northern California counties in a coordinated effort to catch these people.

The officials participated in an undercover sting called a "shoulder tap," in which underage decoys stood outside stores and randomly asked adults to buy them a six-pack.

The entire operation, coordinated by Modesto police, was the largest ever such sting in Northern California, with officials from 17 law enforcement agencies working on the same day, said Modesto police Detective James Rokaitis.

For the complete story in the Modesto Bee click here.

Why is 21 the legal drinking age? Find out more here.

"Support 21 Act of 2009" (H.R. 1028)

From Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) - On February 12, 2009 Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) and Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) introduced the "Support 21 Act of 2009" (H.R. 1028), legislation to advance the nation’s efforts to prevent and reduce underage alcohol use and its devastating consequences. Representatives DeLauro (CT-3) and Wamp (TN-3) are also original co-sponsors. We congratulate the sponsors for their efforts to address this important youth health and safety concern, and urge support for the bill.

Alcohol is the nation’s number one youth drug problem, causing 5,000 deaths per year among persons under 21. Confronting alcohol problems requires a commitment to a comprehensive national prevention strategy. The "Support 21 Act of 2009" will build on the success of the "Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act," enacted in 2006, to strengthen the ability of government and communities around the nation to help construct and implement that needed national strategy.

For the complete story and video of the bill being introduced on the house floor visit CSPI here.

To view the document in The Library of Congress click here.

In An Absolut World: Vodka Ads on Network TV

From Marin Institute - Disregarding the long-established voluntary ban on liquor ads on TV, Absolut Vodka and its owner, French corporate giant Pernod Ricard, have opened the alcohol advertising floodgates by running an ad on CBS during the Grammy Awards on February 8, 2009.

This dangerous move by Pernod Ricard and CBS places profits ahead of public health and sets into motion the dismantling of a system of self-regulation created by an industry already known for egregious advertising.

The 30-second Absolut spot was the first spirits commercial to appear on a national broadcast TV show, running in 15 of the largest media markets on CBS and affiliate local stations. Determined to push media boundaries, Pernod Ricard reached a primetime audience of underage youth who tuned in to watch their favorite teen idols on the popular music awards show.

How does advertising impact young people? To learn more about the effects of alcohol advertising and marketing on youth visit The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth.