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African American Children Hard-Hit By Alcopop Ads
Contact:
Rev. Jesse Brown, Executive Director, NAAAPI
215-235-6488, naaapi@msn.com
Philadelphia,
PA, July 18, 2002
Recent polling data from the Center for Science in the
Public Interest (CSPI) on the exposure of American youth to
"alcopop" television advertising are particularly
alarming to the National Association of African Americans
for Positive Imagery (NAAAPI). "Alcopops" reflect
a new alcohol industry marketing strategy, combining the sweet
taste of soda pop in a liquor-branded malt beverage. NAAAPI's
concern evolves from the alcohol industry's well-documented
history of targeting specific groups with particular products.
A renowned example is the targeting of African Americans with
malt beverages such as Phat Boy, PowerMaster and Crazy Horse.
"We know from experience that the alcohol industry has
been relentless in promoting malt liquors and other alcoholic
beverages to America's young people and particularly to black
youth. Without a doubt, this impacts our youth," says
Reverend Jesse W. Brown, Jr., Executive Director of NAAAPI.
The
alcohol industry has targeted African Americans by heavily
advertising and promoting alcohol through billboards, liquor
stores (outlets), magazines and extreme amounts of signage
in store windows. In addition to these historical tactics,
youth of all races and ethnicities are now bombarded with
television advertisements for liquor-branded malt beverages.
NAAAPI cites as particularly egregious a television spot for
Smirnoff Ice depicting young African Americans enjoying hip
hop culture. "These ads are blatantly attempting to appeal
to African American youth," says Rev. Brown.
While African American youth tend to delay initiating alcohol
use for a longer period of time than other youth, they are
at risk for developing heavy patterns of alcohol use due to
environmental factors. These factors include high rates of
daily television exposure. The National Center for Education
Statistics determined that African American children watch
more television (6 or more hours per day) than their white
or Hispanic peers (4 or more hours per day). Research indicates
that television viewing may be linked to unhealthy behaviors
including the use of drugs or alcohol. While researchers believe
the cause of the difference in television viewing is economic,
not racial, the result is that African American children are
potentially exposed to more television alcohol advertising
than children from other groups. This additional exposure
to targeted alcohol industry marketing tactics is cause for
concern for African Americans who, as a group, experience
higher levels of negative health and social consequences related
to alcohol use.
Maxine
Womble, Project Director for Blacks Against Drunk Driving
(BADD), a project of the National Black Alcoholism and Addictions
Council, is concerned that the alcohol industry will not voluntarily
exercise the controls needed to protect children from television
advertising of youth-oriented liquor products like "alcopops."
"The decision to advertise 'alcopops' on network television
gives cause for Congress and the Federal Trade Commission
to review the industry's voluntary advertising standards and
practices," says Womble.
About
NAAAPI
The National Association of African Americans for Positive
Imagery (NAAAPI) is a non-profit, educational organization
formed in 1991 by African American activists. Headquartered
in Philadelphia, PA, the primary goal of NAAAPI is to eliminate
the marketing of tobacco, alcohol and other harmful products
in communities of color throughout the nation. In doing so,
NAAAPI provides technical assistance to local groups around
the country in support of media and advertising images of
African Americans that are positive and healthy. Funding for
NAAAPI comes from individual contributions, foundations and
government support.
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