Alcohol advertising may influence underage drinking

Exposure to televised alcohol advertisements is associated with underage drinking and problem behaviors related to drinking alcohol, according to results of a recent study.

Jerry Grenard, PhD, and other researchers from the School of Community and Global Health at Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, Calif., recruited 3,890 seventh-grade students and surveyed them once a year for 4 years. To assess exposure to alcohol advertisements, students were asked how frequently they watched 20 popular television shows, and that frequency was weighted by the number of alcohol advertisements on those shows as reported by Nielson Media Research. Students were also asked whether they liked alcohol advertisements and a range of other questions about alcohol use.

Jerry Grenard

“Exposure to alcohol advertising and liking of those ads in grade 7 has a significant influence on the severity of alcohol-related problems in grade 10 and that influence is mediated by growth in alcohol use from grades 7 to 9,” the researchers wrote.

In another paper, issued this week by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, researchers said, in 2010, 36% of 10th-graders reported drinking; 28% binged; and 23% were drunk in the past month.

The researchers said increased efforts are needed to increase the proportion of physicians who follow professional guidelines to screen and counsel adolescents about risky behaviors and alcohol use.

“Although there are other influences on underage drinking, including those of peers and adults, prevention strategies should address the influence of alcohol ads as part of an overall strategy to prevent early initiation of alcohol use and the development of problems related to consumption,” Grenard told Infectious Diseases in Children.

For more information:

Grenard J. Pediatrics. 2013;doi:10.1542/peds.2012-1480.

Hingson RW. Pediatrics. 2013;doi:10.1542/peds.2012-1496.

Jerry L.Grenard,PhD, can be reached at School of Community and Global Health, Claremont Graduate University, 675 West Foothill Blvd., Suite 310, Claremont, CA 91711; email: jerry.grenard@cgu.edu.

Disclosure: Grenard reports no relevant financial disclosures.