Community

• An overwhelming majority of Americans (96 percent) are concerned about underage drinking. In fact, a majority support measures that would help reduce teen drinking, such as stricter controls on alcohol sales, advertising, and promotion.¹

• Recent advertising expenditures in the United States for beer, wine, and liquor combined ($1.2 billion) totaled more than 10 times the amount spent on milk ads ($70.5 million). A total of $764.2 million was spent on beer ads, $131.5 million on wine ads, and $291.2 million on liquor ads.^{2, 3}

• A study of fifth- and sixth-grade students found that those who demonstrated an awareness of beer ads also held more favorable beliefs about drinking and intended to drink more frequently when they grew up.⁴

• One study of Midwestern States found that 46 percent of ninth graders who reported drinking alcohol in the previous month said they obtained the alcohol from a person aged 21 or older.⁵

• In 38 States and the District of Columbia, areas with greater numbers of drinking establishments had higher rates of alcoholism.⁶

• Among drivers aged 15-20, fatal crashes involving a single vehicle at night are three times more likely than other fatal crashes to be alcohol-related. The proportion of fatal crashes that involved single vehicles at night declined 22 percent among drivers in States with zero tolerance polices (0.00 blood alcohol concentration limits) for drivers younger than 21.⁷

• Since 1975, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the 21-year-old minimum drinking age laws have saved 18,220 lives.⁸

1 Wagenaar, A.C., et al. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Youth Access To Alcohol Survey: Summary. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Alcohol Epidemiology Program, 1998.

2 Adams Business Media. Liquor handbook 1999. New York: Author, 1999; Adams Business Media. Wine handbook 1999. New York: Author, 1999; & Adams Business Media. Beer handbook 1999. New York: Author, 1999.

3 Blisard, N., et al. Analyses of Generic Dairy Advertising, 1984-97. Technical Bulletin No. 1873. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service. March 1999. (p.10)

4 Grube, J.W., & Wallack, L. Television beer advertising and drinking knowledge, beliefs, and intentions among schoolchildren. American Journal of Public Health 84(2):254-259, 1994.

5 Wagenaar, A.C., et al. Sources of alcohol for underage drinkers. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 57(3):325-333, 1996.

6 Harford, T.C., et al. Relationship between the number of on-premise outlets and alcoholism. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 40(11):1053-1057, 1979.

7 Hingson, R., et al. Lower legal blood alcohol limits for young drivers. Public Health Reports 109(6):738-744, 1994.

8 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts 1998--Alcohol. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation. Back to 'The World of a Child'