Researchers Want Liquor Ads Limited

The first national study of liquor advertising and its effects on youth, conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut and Ohio State University, recommends that limiting liquor advertising should be part of a national strategy to reduce underage drinking, the Hartford Courant reports. The study found that young people who see more ads for alcoholic beverages tend to drink more, but alcohol producers have long argued that advertising has no influence on liquor consumption by young people. Specifically, the analysis shows that for underage drinkers, exposure to one more ad than the average for youth was correlated with a one percent increase in drinking, and that an additional dollar spent per capita on alcohol advertising in a local market was correlated with a three percent increase in underage alcohol consumption as well. Jeff Becker, president of The Beer Institute said the study fails to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between advertising and youth drinking.