After years of decline, alcohol-related traffic crash deaths have begun to increase again. In the past decade, reports of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which severely impairs the normal development of thousands of children, have increased almost five-fold. Those ad placements clearly violated even the weak voluntary advertising guidelines of the beer industry. We question whether the liquor industry will do any better. Early reports on the placement of broadcast liquor ads reveal that distillers will be no more responsible in avoiding inappropriate youth audiences.
Distillers demand equity when it comes to competing with beer and wine for alcohol consumers.
We strongly believe that such equity should not be won at the expense of our children and public health and safety. Rather than permit distillers the same unfettered access to our children that brewers now enjoy, Congress should examine ways to reduce all alcohol advertising that reaches substantial numbers of underage persons. Thank you for your consideration.