FTC Report Misses Mark On Alcopops

Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker

September 9, 2003

This is a report that's trying to have it both ways. The FTC is displaying incredible naivete about how advertising works. It's not just a happy accident for the industry that kids are seeing alcopop ads: This is an industry with a long and shameful history of preying on kids. In the case of alcopop ads, kids might not be the industry's prime target, but industry's shotgun spray of advertising hits a lot of kids nevertheless. A 2001 CSPI survey found that three times as many teens knew about alcopops than did adults and that twice as many teens than adults had tried them.