Children’s exposure to alcohol advertising during early adolescence appears to influence both beer drinking and their intentions to drink a year later, according to a RAND Corporation study issued last week.
The study of children in the sixth and seventh grades found that those exposed to alcohol advertising at high levels--from television, magazines, in-store displays, and promotional items like T-shirts and posters--were 50 percent more likely to drink and 36 percent more likely to intend to drink than children whose exposure to alcohol advertising was very low. The study is based on a RAND survey of 1,786 South Dakota sixth graders about their exposure to alcohol advertising and marketing, and a second survey of the same children a year later about drinking intentions and behavior. It will be published in the June issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Besides being illegal, underage drinking has been linked to an increased probability of motor vehicle crashes, sexually transmitted diseases, suicide, and disability. The U.S. surgeon general issued a call to action in March to prevent and reduce underage drinking.
