According to a new study from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), teens who own alcohol-branded apparel (T-shirts and hats that display the logos of alcohol makers) are more likely to start drinking and become binge drinkers.

Lead researcher Dr. Auden C. McClure, a pediatrician at DHMC in Hanover, New Hampshire, commented on the findings, saying, "Ownership of these items is associated with susceptibility to alcohol use and binge drinking. ... But it is also a direct link with susceptibility and initiation to drinking ... you can't say any longer that these items are just a marker of kids who drink."

According to Dr. McClure, approximately 3 million youth own alcohol-branded merchandise. The study surveyed 6,522 adolescents, ages 10 to 14, about drinking behaviors and susceptibility; the respondents also participated in three follow-up surveys. The study found that of alcohol-branded items owned by youth, 75 percent were beer brands. In addition, most of the items were purchased for the teens by friends and family (71 percent). (Source: www.forbes.com)

Labels: marketing, underage_drinking

Posted By: Aspen Education Group