Viewer Discretion Recommended: Parents it's not the TV Guide you need to View; it's the commercial line up you should be checking.

Thankfully, many of you know what your children are watching on television or reading in magazines.   For those who do, I congratulate you; it’s no secret parents need to monitor the programs their children view.  However, can any one tell me the content of the commercials aired during or surrounding the shows your children watch or in the print they read?  Likely not, and in fact I am certain most of you are unaware that the alcohol industry is stalking your cherished ones by tactically airing commercials during times of childhood viewing and placing them in print that your children are likely to read. Another culprit, the tobacco industry, also targets young America as some experts suggest that 85% of all films include tobacco use. 

Each day, more than 7,000 kids in the USA under the age of 16 take their first alcoholic drink and shockingly, as many as 20% of middle school eighth graders drink alcohol on a regular basis. Compared to those who begin drinking alcohol after age 21, those who start drinking at age 14 are seven times more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash due to drinking and 11 times more likely to be involved in a physical fight after drinking. Each day 3.84 teens in the USA die from alcohol related injuries. When asking kids why they drink, “from the mouths of babes,” they are straightforward; they drink to get drunk. And this is but part of our concern, we must not forget another health hazard finding a subliminal way into the decision making process of our children, cigarette smoking.  Do you know that approximately 7% of middle school and greater than 30% on high school students smoke cigarettes?  The health related morbidity directly related to cigarette smoking is familiar to most; however, do you know that over 440, 000 people die each year as a direct sequela of cigarette smoking?  In fact, it is the leading cause of preventable death in the USA. So, why do so many young adults choose such a vice?  For one, greater than 50% of youth smoking initiation can be linked to exposure to smoking in films.  Youth with very high exposure to smoking while at the movies are 2.71 times more likely to smoke than those with lower exposure to films with smoking in them.

Brand recognition and marketing are two essential staples for the success of any business. The most successful advertisers strategically place their ads to not just attract a current audience but to also allure followers from future audiences. Unfortunately, our children are that future audience who are directly influenced by both the alcohol and tobacco industries. CAMY, the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth is one concerned group who is actively involved in evaluating and assessing marketing of alcohol to youth. Recently, they assessed more than 10,000 alcohol ads in magazines (between 2001 and 2003) and reported 56% of the $1 billion spent on alcohol advertising appeared in publications with a disproportionate number of underage readers (under the age of 21).

Historically, alcohol advertisers are self policed and their marketing efforts have steered away from audiences with a substantial number of young viewers and readers. The Beer Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council of the US,  in 2003, adopted a marketing code barring members from advertising in publications with a youth audience comprising greater than 30% of the target audience. While a gallant step on their part, criticism continues in that while the under age-21 population does comprises approximately 30% of the population, it is really those viewers aged 12-20 where the major concern lies. Alcohols influence and ad appearances are not thought as significant for the under age-12 population. The age 12-20 population comprises only 15% of the population. And it is this threshold which needs to be the industry standard suggesting that alcohol advertisers not market in print or on the air to audiences where greater than 15% of the audience is under the age of 21. The IOM (Institute of Medicine) has a move urging not placing ads where the underage (12-20) population comprises more than 15% of the audience.

A recent review of print ads revealed a significant presence of alcohol ads in magazines frequently read by those under age 21. These ads appeared in: Rolling Stone where 31% of readers are 12-20 years of age, in Vibe where 31% of readers are 12-20 years of age, and in The Source where 46% of readers are 12-20 years of age.  On television, alcohol ads were seen on all 15 of the15 most popular teen programs (at a cost of $28.4 million comprising 2,583 ads).  We all are aware of the impact the internet has made on our lives. It is truly the communication highway of the world. It is also one of the most successful marketing highways we know of. Greater than 13% of visits to alcohol web sites are by underage kids and advertising on these sites includes video games such as: water balloon toss, car racing, shooting aliens, and air hockey. Yes indeed, our children find their way to these sites and are lured by the attraction of kid-friendly games.

Fortunately, our government has taken a giant step with reference to limiting cigarette advertising through the media, perhaps it is time the same be done for alcohol advertising.  In fact, many reports suggest continued prosperity for the alcohol industry with a focused advertising campaign toward the adult population with strict regulations for marketing to the under 21-yaer old population.

It is absolutely pertinent that adult caregivers pay close attention not just to the shows viewed, magazines read, and internet sites visited, but also to the marketing content of each. We must “read between the lines” and  let’s not forget:

VIEWER DISCRETION RECOMMENDED