A major research study has found that alcohol companies are targeting 15 and 16-year-old children and encouraging excessive drinking.
The research conducted by the British Medical Journal and led by Professor Gerard Hastings found that market research data on 15 and 16-year-olds is used to develop advertising campaigns. Hastings’ claims that many references are made to the recruitment of new drinkers and the establishment of their loyalty to a particular brand.
WKD wants to attract “new 18-year-olds” and Carling takes pride in the fact that the Carling Weekend is “the first choice for the festival virgin.” Hastings’ research also found that millions of children, some as young as four years old, were exposed to alcohol adverts during last year’s World Cup.
In September, Diageo, a major drinks business, struck a multi-billion dollar deal with Facebook meaning that young people’s exposure to alcoholic ads will increase. Although Facebook argues that pages set up by alcohol advertisers are “age-gated” and therefore only accessible to those who are over 18 there is still the issue that many younger people do not disclose their true age on Facebook.
One young person said that they feel “the adverts are aimed at people in general and most of the adverts have older-looking people drinking so it’s not the adverts that influence people.”
When questioned on the age group on which their market research is based Beverage Brands, producers of alcoholic and soft drinks, replied, “We can confirm that Beverage Brands do not research under 18s for any of our alcoholic brands”.
In an attempt to solve Scotland’s underage drinking culture, a new bill is being proposed to further restrict advertising alcohol to children. The bill will mirror French legislation, which bans alcohol promotion on television before 9pm and internet ploys such as ‘advergames’ which disguise alcohol marketing. Diane Thomson, Public Affairs officer for Alcohol Focus Scotland “calls on government to clamp down on advertising and the way alcohol is promoted.”
The charity aims to take a further step in combating underage drinking by making an advertisement which shows the amount of alcohol advertising children are exposed to. By the time a child turns 12, they will have been subjected to thousands of images of alcohol. The advert has been banned from being shown on television by the Advertising Standards Agency as it is not allowed to lobby for government in an advertisement.
Thomson added “it’s not normal for children to be bombarded whilst going about the business of being children.”
Studies also show that while the advertising industry claims that adverts simply help people choose an alcoholic beverage, they can also greatly influence young people and encourage excessive drinking. The study also found that certain adverts make alcohol attractive and give the message that it is part of a healthy life style, stimulating the desire to drink and making those who already drink do so even more. By linking drinking to success and popularity, the research shows that adverts can actually encourage underage drinking.
Diageo responded by claiming, “our marketing must not portray or imply that drinking is necessary to obtain social or other success, nor to overcome inhibitions or to be socially accepted.”
By Rebecca MacKinnon
The Variant 
Posted on November 19, 2011
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