CAMY Releases Study on Radio Alcohol Ads

The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) has issued a report
claiming that “almost 1 out of 11 radio ads for alcoholic beverages in 75
markets across the nation in 2009 failed to comply with the alcohol industry’s
voluntary standard for the placement of advertising.” According to CAMY,
“Approximately 9 percent of all alcohol product advertisements aired on
programming with underage audiences in violation of the industry’s 30 percent standard,” thus accounting for 18 percent of youth exposure to alcohol advertising. The report also alleges that (i) 32 percent of advertising placements “occurred when proportionately more youth were listening than adults age 21 and above”; (ii) “these overexposing ads generated more than half of youth exposure to radio advertising for alcohol in 2009”; and (iii) “in 2009, girls ages 12 to 20 were more likely than boys in the same age group to be exposed to alcohol advertising for alcopops, distilled spirits, and wine.”

The center faults the industry’s current standard as too lenient, noting that
“more than two-thirds of underage exposure to alcohol advertising on the
radio went to young people between the ages of 12 and 20.” As a result, CAMY
has joined the National Research Council, Institute of Medicine and 24 state
attorneys general in calling for a new standard that limits alcohol advertising
to programming where this age group comprises less than 15 percent of the
audience.