ALCOPOPs - Sweet Danger Aimed at Teen Girls
Recent local youth surveys indicate that although high school alcohol and other drug use is on the decline, teen girls are increasing their alcohol use. One reason young women are reporting more alcohol use than males is the prevalence of "Alcopops" - the light-flavored soda-like drinks which alcohol companies have squarely aimed at the teen girl market. Here are some important facts for teens and their parents to understand about Alcopops and the danger they pose to local youth.
Key findings of two AMA national polls on teens & alcopops include:
• Approximately one-third of teen girls report having tried alcopops, and one out of six have done so in the past six months.
• More teen girls have had alcopops in the past six months than teen boys (31% versus 19%).
• Teen girls report drinking alcopops more than other alcoholic drinks, whereas adult women ages 21 or older rank it as their least-consumed alcoholic beverage.
• For teens that have had alcoholic drinks in the past six months, girls drank more in all categories (beer, wine, alcopops and hard-liquor drinks) than boys.
• Nearly one in six teen girls who have drunk alcopops in the past six months have been sexually active after 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 out of five teen girls who have tried alcopops have thrown up, or passed out, from drinking.
• Nearly half of all girls aged 16-18 report seeing alcopops ads on TV, compared to only 34% of women 21 or older.
• Teen girls report seeing or hearing more alcopops ads on TV, radio, billboards, the Internet and in magazines more than women 21 or older.
ALCOPOPs Advertising to Girls
• Teenage girls (33%) were more likely to express a preference for alcopops compared to teenage boys (27%).
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). “Alcopops: Summary of Findings. What Teens and Adults are Saying about Alcopops.” Poll released May 2001.
• Girls saw a staggering 95% more magazine advertising for low-alcohol refreshers than legal-age women on a per capita basis in 2002.
• Women ages 21-34, the age group often identified as the target audience for alcohol advertising, were actually less exposed per capita to magazine advertising for alcopops and beer than girls ages 12-20.
• Exposure of underage youth to alcohol advertising in magazines declined between 2001 and 2002 in every category except low-alcohol refreshers, for which exposure to girls grew by a staggering 216%. David H. Jernigan; Joshua Ostroff; Craig Ross; James A. O’Hara. (Courtesy of CAMY.) “Sex Differences in Adolescent Exposure to Alcohol Advertising in Magazines.” Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent medicine. July 2004.
Although alcopops are distilled spirits under California law, they are taxed at the lower rate designated for beer. This allows alcopops to be sold in the thousands of retail outlets that are licensed to sell beer but not liquor. As a result, these products are more readily available to young people, who report that alcopops go down easy and are less likely to be detected either by smell or appearance.
Information provided by the Orange County Office of Education - OCFNLP.
Learn more about Alcopos and talking with your teen at:
http://family.samhsa.gov/talk/girldrink.aspx
Getting Help
Youth Treatment. San Luis Obispo County Drug and Alcohol Services can offer support, education, and treatment If you or somebody you care for needs help for their alcohol use. Please call us at (805) 781-4275, or see our walk-in schedule to make an appointment with a counselor.