Liquor or beer, part deux
Sen. Richard Madaleno, who opposed a bill that would classify such drinks as Mike's Hard Lemonade as beer, writes in to pass along a fact sheet prepared by a researcher for the Center for the Study of Law and Enforcement Policy.
Read on for the fact sheet.
FACT SHEET
Alcopops and the Youth Market
Alcopops are designed for and popular with adolescent drinkers.
-Alcopops are alcoholic beverages designed and marketed for entry-level drinkers. The vast majority of entry level drinkers are under the legal drinking age of 21.
-The alcohol taste in alcopops is concealed by sweet, fruity flavors that serve as a bridge between nonalcoholic beverages such as soft drinks and the harsher tastes of traditional alcohol products. They are also called “alcopops” because of their similarity to soda pop in flavor and sweetness – soda pop laced with hard liquor.
-Alcopops are popular with junior and senior high school students: in a 2005 survey, 12.9 percent of 8th graders, 23.1 percent of 10th graders, and 30.5 percent of 12th graders report consuming alcopops within the last 30 days. Girls are much more likely to consume alcopops than boys.
-The younger the drinker, the more likely he/she will consume alcopops. Among 8th grade drinkers, 78 percent report alcopop consumption in the last 30 days compared to 59 percent of 19-20 year olds and 36 percent of 25-30 year olds.
-Teenagers often refer to alcopops as “girlie beer” or “cheerleader beer” because of their popularity with young, adolescent girls. Eighty-two percent of teen girls who have tried alcopops agree that they taste better than beer or other alcoholic drinks.
Alcopop advertising disproportionately targets underage youth.
-On a per capita basis, underage youth are far more likely to see alcopop advertising on radio, television and magazines than adults.
-Teen girls report having seen or heard more alcopop ads on TV, radio, billboards, online and in magazines than adult women.
Distilled spirits companies are successfully using alcopops to promote their brand names with youthful drinkers.
-Examples of alcopops being marketed with distilled spirits brand names include Smirnoff Ice, Skyy Blue, Bacardi Breezer, and Jack Daniels Country Cocktails.
-The distillers’ alcopops have similar packaging and advertising as their distilled spirit cousins, but with lower alcohol content and sweeter tastes.
-By treating alcopops as beer for regulatory purposes, distillers were able to market their brand names on network television, which is off limits to distilled spirits products.
-Alcopops are therefore likely contributors to the increasing popularity of distilled spirits among 12th grade girls (the only grade for which data is available).
Prepared January 2007
Alcopops and the Youth Market
Alcopops are designed for and popular with adolescent drinkers.
-Alcopops are alcoholic beverages designed and marketed for entry-level drinkers. The vast majority of entry level drinkers are under the legal drinking age of 21.
-The alcohol taste in alcopops is concealed by sweet, fruity flavors that serve as a bridge between nonalcoholic beverages such as soft drinks and the harsher tastes of traditional alcohol products. They are also called “alcopops” because of their similarity to soda pop in flavor and sweetness – soda pop laced with hard liquor.
-Alcopops are popular with junior and senior high school students: in a 2005 survey, 12.9 percent of 8th graders, 23.1 percent of 10th graders, and 30.5 percent of 12th graders report consuming alcopops within the last 30 days. Girls are much more likely to consume alcopops than boys.
-The younger the drinker, the more likely he/she will consume alcopops. Among 8th grade drinkers, 78 percent report alcopop consumption in the last 30 days compared to 59 percent of 19-20 year olds and 36 percent of 25-30 year olds.
-Teenagers often refer to alcopops as “girlie beer” or “cheerleader beer” because of their popularity with young, adolescent girls. Eighty-two percent of teen girls who have tried alcopops agree that they taste better than beer or other alcoholic drinks.
Alcopop advertising disproportionately targets underage youth.
-On a per capita basis, underage youth are far more likely to see alcopop advertising on radio, television and magazines than adults.
-Teen girls report having seen or heard more alcopop ads on TV, radio, billboards, online and in magazines than adult women.
Distilled spirits companies are successfully using alcopops to promote their brand names with youthful drinkers.
-Examples of alcopops being marketed with distilled spirits brand names include Smirnoff Ice, Skyy Blue, Bacardi Breezer, and Jack Daniels Country Cocktails.
-The distillers’ alcopops have similar packaging and advertising as their distilled spirit cousins, but with lower alcohol content and sweeter tastes.
-By treating alcopops as beer for regulatory purposes, distillers were able to market their brand names on network television, which is off limits to distilled spirits products.
-Alcopops are therefore likely contributors to the increasing popularity of distilled spirits among 12th grade girls (the only grade for which data is available).
Prepared January 2007
