Study: Alcohol Ads Still Airing On Youth Radio Programming

Alcohol marketing is airing on radio stations geared towards young listeners, according to a new report from the CENTER ON ALCOHOL MARKETING AND YOUTH. The report, published in the CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION's "MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY," analyzed 67,404 alcohol ads in 104 American radio markets in the SUMMER of 2004 and found that 14% of the ads ran in programming where youth made up over 30% of the audience, a "substantial improvement" over 2003's 28%. 49% of the ads aired in programming with more youth listeners than the population of youths in the local market. The alcohol industry set voluntary standards in 2003 stipulating that its ads would not appear on youth-oriented programming.

"Young people spend more time listening to the radio than they do reading magazines or surfing the net, so reducing youth exposure to alcohol ads on radio is critical," said CAMY Exec. Dir. Dr. DAVID JERNIGAN. "In SEPTEMBER 2003, the alcohol industry made modest revisions to its voluntary code in order to reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising. While progress is being made, the industry still has a long way to go."

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