TUESDAY, July 26, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Rockin' parties, sexy people, getting the guy or girl, being popular -- these are themes teenagers say they take away from alcohol advertisements, according to a recent survey that found evidence that liquor ads are targeting young people.
Of the nearly 500 Maine teens surveyed, two-thirds of the 13- to 18-year-olds agreed that the alcohol industry is trying to appeal to underage youth through its advertising, according to a report by the survey's sponsor, the Maine Youth Empowerment and Policy group.
In addition, more than half of the teens who saw an alcohol ad on television or in print believed the people portrayed could be under 21 -- the legal drinking age in Maine.
The group recommended that the industry take better care in placing ads where teenagers are less likely to see them, and to employ models at least 30 years old.
The Maine Youth Empowerment and Policy group is composed of 15 high school and college students. The study was funded through a grant from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Substance Abuse.
More information
The National Institutes of Health has more about underage drinking.
