"Big Alcohol" Targets Teenage Girls

Don’t be taken in

Published on October 2, 2005 By Sid_Gibson In Parenting

"A third of all girls older than 12 have tried a popular new alcoholic beverage. Known as “girlie drinks” or “alcopops,” their sweet fruity flavor can’t conceal the negative health consequences. Companies market these “starter drinks” to appeal to girls and young women. Don’t be taken in." (American Medical Association)

Teenage Drinking Survey Results

Consumption

• Approximately one-third of teen girls have tried alcopops

• Teen girls drink alcopops more than boys (one-third versus one-fifth)

• More than one in six teen girls drink alcopops every six months or more often

• Teen girls drink all types of alcohol (alcopops, wine, hard drinks, etc.) more than boys

Perceptions

• Alcopops are as popular with teens as the well-known and established types of alcohol

• Eighty-two percent of teen girls who have tried alcopops agree that they taste better than beer or other alcoholic drinks

• More teen girls think alcopops are cool

• Teenage girls 12-18 think alcopops are popular in their age group by a two to one margin (26 percent versus 13 percent who disagree
with that statement)

• One-third of respondents (34 percent) incorrectly think that alcopops have less alcohol than beer and similar drinks

• There is much confusion about alcopops’ level of addiction, amount of alcohol or carbs, etc.(60 or higher percent don’t know if they have more or less than other drinks)

• Both teen girls who have tried and teen girls who have heard of alcopops believe—by a 2 to 1 margin that the products are targeted more to teenage girls

Marketing and advertising

• More than half (51 percent) of all teens have seen alcopops ads

• 15 percent of teen girls have heard alcopops ads on the radio

• One in seven teen girls have seen alcopops ads on the Internet

• Nine percent of teen girls wear branded clothes/logos (one in 10)

• More than 60 percent of teen girls who have seen TV, print or in-store ads have also tried alcopops

• Alcopop ads tend to be the only way a teen is aware of the product: roughly half of teens who have seen alcopops ads have never seen the product at parties or through friends

• One in five teens who have seen Internet alcopops ads have also worn alcopops branded clothing

• Four out of five teens who say they drink alcopops every six months or more often have seen TV ads, and nearly half (45 percent) have seen Internet ads

• Teen girls who have seen alcopops ads on TV said alcopops taste better than other alcohol drinks by a nine to one margin and think alcopops are easier to drink by an eight to one margin

• Teen girls who have seen TV, print or in-store ads think alcopops are popular within their age group by a four to one margin

• Teen girls who have seen alcopop ads were more likely to think alcopops have less alcohol than
other drinks

Harms

• One out of five teen girls who have tried alcopops have thrown up or passed out from drinking

• One out of four teen girls who have tried alcopops have driven after drinking or ridden in a car with a driver who had been drinking

• One in six teen girls who tried alcopops have been sexually active after drinking

Source: American Medical Association
For more information, contact: AMA Media Relations, (312) 464-4430

Comments

bakerstreet

on Oct 02, 2005

yes, and this should be a wake up call to parents, so that they'll start being, well... parents. All this idiotic blaming manufacturers for the fact we don't watch over our kids is simply an excuse. We don't want to take the time to raise our kids, so we want to baby-safe the world so we won't have to.

I read an article the other day that kids who lived in homes where beer and wine were regularly consumed during meals were less apt to abuse alcohol. I think the whole "targeting kids" is just a backhanded way to get around the fact that we don't bother teaching our kids anything.

Texas Wahine

on Oct 02, 2005

BakerStreet: I find myself agreeing with you more and more all the time.

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