The attorneys general of 24 states are asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take stronger measures to stop underage drinking. In a letter to the FTC, the attorneys general offered a three-step plan to keep alcohol advertising away from teens.
“The more young people are exposed to alcohol advertising and marketing, the more likely they are to drink, or if already drinking, to drink more,” wrote Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and the other attorneys general.
The FTC is planning to collect information from advertisers about the way alcohol is advertised, sold and marketed and how data is collected. The attorneys general offered three ways this should be done:
1. Advertising and promotional spending data should be collected on an ongoing basis instead of intermittently.
2. Alcohol advertising should not be allowed when more than15% of the people in the audience are between the ages of 12 and 20.
3. Alcohol advertising data should include digital and social media marketing such as blogs and corporate sponsored social media sites.
On May 8, 2006, the attorneys general sent a letter endorsing the FTC’s proposal to set the standard that alcohol advertising be directed to audiences where at least 70% of the audience is of legal drinking age. A higher standard is now being proposed to limit the amount of advertising to those between the ages of 12 and 20 year old, which is 15%, rather than the percentage of those under 21, which is 30%.
“With the health and lives of this nation’s young people at stake, we believe that state, federal and industry efforts are needed to stem the flow of alcohol to our youth,” concludes the attorneys general.
The letter was signed by the attorneys general in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming.
