Journal of Public Health Policy Publishes Special Section on Alcohol Marketing and Youth

Washington, DC - The publication of the special section of the Journal of Public Health Policy (JPHP), 'Global Alcohol Marketing and Youth - Public Health Perspectives,' draws attention to a critical public health issue for youth and families worldwide. At the same time that the evidence linking advertising exposure and youth drinking behavior has grown stronger, three years of CAMY reports have made clear that young people in the United States are exposed to more than their fair share of ads promoting alcohol. The JPHP special section puts this problem in a larger, global context.

The articles and commentaries in this section include a review of the growing body of research from various countries linking alcohol marketing and youth drinking and a discussion of the menu of policy responses available to countries seeking to reduce youth exposure to alcohol marketing. The special section also includes articles that analyze the impact of new product categories with particular appeal to youth, relevant and new developments in global trade agreements, and changes in the maximum permissible youth audience composition for media vehicles containing alcohol advertising.

The National Academy of Sciences in the United States has concluded that 'the problem of underage drinking ... is endemic and...not likely to improve in the absence of a significant new intervention.' Epidemiological research by the World Health Organization has shown that the problem is even greater elsewhere in the world. The JPHP special section sheds new light on a key component of this public health problem and offers guidance on policy interventions that could make a significant difference in the health and safety of young people around the world."

Free online access to this issue of the Journal of Public Health Policy is available until February 2006.