Kids as young as 11-years-old are being bombarded with booze ads every day – increasing the risk of underage drinking, according to a disturbing new study.
The study, published in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, found that kids ages 11-14 typically viewed two to four alcohol ads a day.
Most of the ads appear on TV, but many also are splashed on billboards and signs outside stores and eateries.
The findings are troubling because studies suggest that ads may encourage underage drinking, said Rebecca L. Collins, a researcher with the RAND Corp., in Santa Monica, California, who led the investigation.
“The evidence is strong that kids are at greater risk if they’re exposed to alcohol advertising,” Collins said.
Alcohol manufacturers are self-regulated when it comes to advertising. According to industry guidelines, ads should be limited to media that have a mostly adult audience and avoid schools, playgrounds and churches, Collins said.
Hispanic and African-American children saw an average of three and four ads per day, respectively. White kids came across two a day, on average.
“It’s pretty disturbing that African-American kids saw twice as many ads,” Collins said.
She also pointed to another disconcerting finding: Girls saw 30 percent more ads than boys did — a difference that has not been seen in many previous studies.
The findings were based on 589 11- to 14-year-olds living in and around Los Angeles. Over two weeks, the kids used handheld devices to record their encounters with alcohol ads.