Forging the Link Between Alcohol Advertising and Underage Drinking

s of all RAND Health publications and full text of many research documents can be found on the RAND Health web site at www.rand.org/health. The RAND Corporation is a nonprofi t research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. RAND’s publications do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. R® is a registered trademark. RAND Offi ces Santa Monica • Washington • Pittsburgh • Doha • Berlin • Cambridge • Leiden RB-9073 (2006) Policy Implications Th e 2003 Institute of Medicine’s report, Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility, estimates the social cost of underage drinking at $53 billion, including $19 billion from traffi c accidents and $29 billion from violent crime. Combating underage drinking involves multiple approaches. With regard to alcohol advertising, the RAND studies described in this Highlight raise the following issues for policymakers to consider: Alcohol Advertising Policy • Alcohol advertising policy should take into consideration all ad venues to which adolescents are exposed, including magazines, TV, in-store displays, and concession stands at sports events and concerts. • Given the high rates of beer advertising awareness among adolescents watching televised sports, the current practice of airing frequent beer ads during such programming warrants examination. • Youth reactions to specifi c ads should be examined on a regular basis, by advertisers and by policymakers, so that ads particularly appealing to young people can be identifi ed and pulled. Future Research • Future research should focus on identifying ways to counter the impact of “special venue” advertising on youth who have already started drinking. • More studies are needed to understand the impact of television advertising on underage drinking, specifi cally by targeting the possible cumulative eff ect of exposure to TV alcohol ads year after year. School Drug Prevention Programs • Helping children become aware of and able to counter the multiple sources of alcohol advertising to which they are exposed should be an important component of school prevention programs. – 4 –