Center for Science in the Public Interest

For Immediate Release: September 9, 2003

FTC Report Misses Mark On Alcopops

Statement of CSPI Alcohol Policies Project Director George A. Hacker

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.

For more information, contact:

Center for Science in the Public Interest
1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009

phone 202.332.9110
fax 202.265.4954