Fewer Magazines Exposing Youth to Alcohol

Exposure to alcohol ads in magazines among 12-20 year olds fell 48 percent between 2001 and 2008, according to a new report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Exposure to adults (over 21) fell 29 percent during the same span.

HealthDay reported Aug. 13 that alcohol ads have virtually disappeared from magazines with more than 30 percent of readers under age 21. 

However, magazines with a greater than 15 percent youth-audience composition overexposed youth to alcohol ads, generating 74 percent of youth exposure in 2008. Half of the industry's magazine-ad spending from 2001 to 2008 used this strategy.

Also, although youth exposure to distilled alcohol ads fell by 62 percent in such magazines, exposure to beer ads rose by 57 percent.

The full report, Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising in National Magazines, 2001–2008, is available on the CAMY website.