Teens Getting Tipsy?

David Murphy
As the sliding glass doors open, the customers’ eyes are drawn to the bright colors and logos on the containers.
There are bottles with penguins, kangaroos, and monkeys on the labels. In one aisle, there is a cardboard cut out of big pirate with his foot on a barrel. Around the corner, there is an island display complete with a light up palm tree.
From the flavors of drinks to the way they are packaged, or advertised, some say alcoholic beverages are increasingly being marketed to a younger audience.
“I’m not 21 but I can definitely see the appeal of a lot of drinks. Like I don’t like the taste of beer so I’d much rather have something like lemonade. That seems like a much better choice,” said Jenn Forrester, 18, a student at Bridgewater State College.
Underage drinking is a serious issue in the United States. A 2006 study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed the average age that someone first used alcohol was 16.6 years and 48 percent of all alcohol consumed by students attending a four year college is consumed by underage students,
Sweet flavored malt drinks are a new fad that many companies are trying to cash in on. Smirnoff, Jack Daniels, and Bacardi are all examples of companies that sell sugary drinks. Some of the flavors include raspberry, watermelon, and blue raspberry.
“I won’t deny that Mikes and other malts are good sellers for us but it’s not because they are for young kids. They’re what we call chick drinks, tons of girls enjoy them,” said Donna Mayette, a manager and employee for Kappy’s Liquors in Peabody.
While the flavor may be suited for females it’s hard to deny the marketing campaign. On countrycocktails.com, the official website for Jack Daniels’ malt drinks, you can download computer wallpaper, upload Jack Daniels AIM icons, and view tips on what to wear to concerts and what not to do when dancing in a club.
“I don’t work for Jack Daniels. However they choose to market is their business, we just make sure that we have it in stock. At our store we make sure everyone that buys is over 21. Our policy is to always check IDs,” Mayette said.
Malt drinks aren’t the only beverages that seem to cater to a young crowd. Wine companies generally have mascots like animals, which younger people would seem to enjoy. The company Virgin, major music industry label has recently developed its own wine and its advertising campaign includes free giveaways titled “bling-bling”, necklaces with their logo and a dollar sign.
“I don’t know anything about wine so when I turn 21 I won’t know what I’m doing. I’ll probably be that girl that basis her choice of the prettiest bottle or something,” said Joanna Cloutier, a 20 year-old Stonehill student.
Many students use energy drinks to stay awake, like Red Bull or Rock Star. The Miller brewing company is cashing in by instituting an alcoholic energy drink known as Sparks. Their marketing blitz includes a group of college girls that call themselves “Sparxxx girls”. This has led to a large college based fan population. The can looks similar to other energy drinks and the liquid generates an orange discoloring of the tongue.
“If you look at the statistics of underage drinking and driving accidents you’ll see it’s appalling. I don’t have any proof in saying this but I don’t think that peer pressure is the only reason kids drink alcohol like a lot of people generally believe. I defiantly think that catchy ads and flashy campaigns have a lot do with it,” said Anthony Furnari who works at Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Furnari is referring to come from the U.S. Surgeon General that reported in 2007 approximately 5,000 persons under age 21 die from alcohol-related injuries involving underage drinking yearly. Also in 2006 an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol related traffic crashes.
College population is a major demographic that beer companies market towards. The recent NCAA provided a great outlet for Bud Light. They were one of the sponsors and purchased a lot of commercial time. Once the games got to the final four, Bud Light produced blue and white necklaces with their logo and the words “Final Four” on them that were passed out at bars.
“I don’t think they’re advertising to underage people. That’s just dumb, they can’t buy it anyways. I think they try to have catchy ad campaigns but they’re only trying to sell their product to the masses, not the under 21 crowd,” said Brandyn Brosemer, a 20-year-old Stonehill student.