Due to the possibility of underage children and teenagers finding excessive (and illegal) drinking more attractive because of TV alcohol ads, many countries have banned them from being shown on G-rated schedules - now, a new study has confirmed this theory.
A new study has shown that there may be a marked and direct relation between exposure to TV alcohol ads on teenagers and them drinking irresponsibly at a young age, including acts like binge drinking and general hazardous drinking, perhaps even linked to driving under the influence.
According to Science Daily, the study regarding TV alcohol ads' effect on children was entitled "Cued Recall of Alcohol Advertising on Television and Underage Drinking Behavior" and published on the last edition of the journal JAMA, with information taken from a study where the Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) and the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD) joined forces.
As Medical News Today points out, there haven't been cigarette television spots since the late 60s, after tobacco companies willingly halted them; however, this hasn't been the same for TV alcohol ads, and the latest evidence suggests that this could be a terrible influence on the younger population who isn't even yet legally allowed to drink.
According to Fox News, the study pointed that, on average, teenagers between 15 to 17 were approximately 23.4 percent likely to have been exposed to the ads, while those between 18 and 20 were about 22.7 percent likely; finally, those participants of the study that were between 21 and 23 years of age were 25.6 percent likely to have seen the ads.
The researchers then pointed out that there was a strong correlation between having seen the TV alcohol ads and their likelihood of binge drinking (which is to say, having more than six drinks in one sitting) and other hazardous behaviors. In all, the group between 15 and 17 reported to binge drinking; the number was 29 percent for those between 18 and 20, suggesting a clear link between the two variables.
