Alcohol News: June-September 2003

Can't Get a Drink in Texas? Try the Next County. (Or Next Door.)
The New York Times, September 28, 2003
"You can buy a drink in Plano, but it's not that easy.

There are no bars or liquor stores allowed in this booming city of 240,000, Texas's ninth largest, 30 miles north of Dallas, which is also dry-ish. Supermarkets and groceries in 40 percent of Plano's opulent 72 square miles may not sell beer or wine. The rest can. You just have to know which is which.

Plano's 126 restaurants do sell drinks, if you hand over identification and sign a form to "join" the establishment's "private club," a practice common in Texas' nominally dry areas.

Texas is a patchwork of dizzying gradations of wetness, a carryover from Prohibition and arcane laws devised to protect varying interests. But people in Plano and a growing number of other localities are mobilizing to do something about it.

A new state law easing rules for local referendums on alcohol sales has allowed citizens here and elsewhere to organize intricate petition drives to liberalize liquor laws community by community..."
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Special Senate session fails to lower DUI alcohol limit
The Cape Gazette, October 1, 2003
"Delaware Senators did not buckle to the pressure of being behind the federal .08 ball during a special session held Sept. 24. Proponents of lowering the state's tolerance of drinking and driving had hoped the lawmakers might use the session to pass a bill reducing the acceptable blood alcohol content from .10 to .08.

Delaware is one of six states that has not decreased the DUI standard since the federal government passed legislation in 2000 instituting a phased in financial penalty for states which do not implement a .08 limit. Penalties in the first phase begin Oct.1, and by most estimates the state stands to forfeit access to $1.6 million in federal highway funds..."
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Tuesday, September 30, 2003

Pennsylvania to move liquor into supermarkets
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, September 30, 2003
"The head of the Pennsylvania state store managers union yesterday blasted a move to locate state liquor stores inside privately owned supermarkets, saying it will expose children to "vodka and vitamins, whiskey and peanut butter and Captain Morgan [rum] and Captain Crunch."

Ed Cloonan, president of the Independent State Store Union, which represents 500 store managers, said the state Liquor Control Board should be renamed the "Liquor Promotional Board." He called for public hearings to be held before the LCB goes ahead with its "onslaught to sell more liquor in Pennsylvania."

The first liquor store is set to go inside a supermarket outside Philadelphia late this year. Other state stores will be inside supermarkets in the Pittsburgh and Harrisburg areas early in 2004, as soon as leases can be worked out.

"The PLCB is out of control," Cloonan said in a news release. "It's a captive of the alcohol beverage industry thirsting to push more of the drug alcohol."

Cloonan charged that putting liquor stores inside supermarkets will make liquor more available to underage youths and will be the first step toward privatization of liquor stores in Pennsylvania..."
See article

It takes a team to curb youth drinking
American Medical News, September 30, 2003
"Efforts to combat the epidemic of underage drinking will require a range of players -- parents, retailers, state and federal lawmakers, alcohol manufacturers and the entertainment industry -- says a new Institute of Medicine and National Research Council report.

"Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility" sets out a strategy that protects the nation's youth while respecting the rights of responsible adult consumers of alcohol, said Richard J. Bonnie, director of the University of Virginia's Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy, and the chair of the committee that drafted the report.

The report was applauded by the AMA, which has launched its own efforts to control underage drinking.

"I've practiced medicine for more than three decades, and seen firsthand the ravages of alcohol on young people and on their families," said AMA Trustee J. Edward Hill, MD, at a Sept. 10 Capitol Hill news conference.

Underage drinking should be taken as seriously as drug and alcohol abuse, said Dr. Hill, and physicians are in a good position to counsel their young patients on the dangers of alcohol abuse.

The availability of alcohol and apparent willingness of adults to supply alcohol to teens means that curbing underage drinking will be an uphill battle, but an important one to win, said the new report.

"Alcohol use by young people is dangerous because of the risks associated with acute impairment, and because it threatens [teens'] long-term development," said Bonnie.

Although motor vehicle accidents are the most visible consequence of alcohol abuse, underage drinking is also associated with violence, suicide, academic failure and other harmful behaviors..."
AMNews: Oct. 6, 2003. It takes a team to curb youth drinking..." American Medical News

At 11th hour, home of Mardi Gras tightens drunken driving laws
USA Today, September 30, 2003
"The state where revelers get blitzed for Mardi Gras and daiquiris are dispensed at drive-thru windows held out about as a long as it could before lowering its drunken-driving threshold.

As of midnight Monday, the legal limit for a motorist's blood-alcohol content was set to drop from 0.10% to 0.08% - a change approved reluctantly by Louisiana lawmakers who did not want to lose about $6 million a year in federal highway construction money.

"I didn't like the fact the federal government mandated us to do it," said Republican state Rep. Daniel Martiny. "Ninety-nine percent of the people causing these accidents are not 0.08, but probably 0.20 or 0.30."

The deadline for states to make the change or risk losing 2% of their highway funds was Oct. 1. The six states that have kept the 0.10 threshold - New Jersey, Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia - risk losing an additional 2% each year through 2006.

Louisiana has long been loath to restrict alcohol. In 1995 it became the last state to raise the drinking age from 18 to 21..."
Fulltext of article

Survey reveals Air Force cadets' drinking habits
USA Today, September 30, 2003
"A survey of cadets at the Air Force Academy released Monday shows significant drinking in dormitories, despite a ban on alcohol.

Fifty-two percent of seniors admitted drinking in their dormitories at least once, while 38% of cadets under age 21 who arrived on campus just this year reported drinking in their dorms.

The survey, done periodically, is drawing more scrutiny this fall because of the academy's sexual assault scandal. In light of the findings, academy commanders said they will bring in extra staff to patrol dorms.

The survey also showed cadets were less likely to follow the honor code the longer they are at the academy..."
Fulltext of article

Police: Alcohol impairment significant long before hitting 0.08 percent limit
The Post Crescent, September 29, 2003
"How the change in Wisconsin's legal threshold of intoxication is going to affect drivers and the police who enforce the laws is hazier than a smoke-filled barroom.

The gin-clear part of the equation is that drivers will be legally drunk with less to drink. About one drink less by most equations.

Each drink contributes about 0.015 percent to an individual's blood-alcohol concentration, said Rob Kappelman, a lieutenant with Two Rivers Police Department who trains other officers on how to field test impaired drivers. An average person metabolizes roughly the same amount of alcohol each hour, keeping a person who consumes one drink per hour nearly sober.

A drink is usually defined as one 12-ounce beer, a glass of wine or mixed drink with about an ounce of booze.

Experts warn that the drink that pushes drivers over the 0.08 percent mark is not likely to have a substantial effect on their level of impairment - because they're likely already impaired..."
Fulltext of article

Irish crackdown on alcohol ads
ITV.com, September 29, 2003
"Alcohol companies could be forced to place health warnings on cans and bottles in a bid to combat Ireland's drink problem.

The Government is also proposing to ban alcohol advertising on television and radio before 10pm, and in cinemas where people under the age of 18 are present.

All advertisements for alcohol would have to carry health warnings under the new legislation to be introduced into the Irish parliament by health minister Micheal Martin.
Irish premier Bertie Ahern said: "The Minister for Health will shortly be bringing forward legislation to protect young people from over-exposure to alcohol marketing, including advertising, sponsorship and sales promotions."

This would include a ban on publicity on public transport, youth centres and sporting events where minors are present..."
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Monday, September 29, 2003  

Under the influence?
Seacoast Online, Portsmouth Hearald, NH, September 28, 2003
"Do candy cigarettes or tequila-flavored lollipops influence children's decisions later on in life?

Police and health officials say they do, but some local stores say there is no reason to pull the products off the shelves.

Kittery resident Priscilla Guy said she was outraged when she walked into the local 7-Eleven and saw tequila-flavored lollipops that include a real worm. What she found more outrageous was that the candy was accessible to children. The lollipops do not contain alcohol..."
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Welsh kids top UK booze league
IC Wales, September 28, 2003
"Children in Wales are the heaviest young drinkers in Britain.

And health workers today warn that binge-drinking may be to blame for increases in cancer and liver damage among the nation's young people.

A shocking Wales on Sunday investigation into school-age drinking revealed that Welsh teenagers as young as 14 see heavy drinking sessions as an acceptable part of growing up.
And teachers have warned that children as young as 10 are using alcohol regularly.

A spokeswoman for the National Public Health Service (NPHS) for Wales said: "We are seeing more cases of gastrointestinal problems, including liver damage among younger people and this may be linked to binge drinking. Obviously, the earlier you start drinking, the more you are putting yourself at risk..."
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A cocktail of policies is key to alcohol abuse
The Scotsman, September 28, 2003
"...Heavy drinking runs in families. When this is teased out by research into adoptees and studies of twin pairs, we see that family transmission is in part due to genes laid down at conception.

Drinking experiments in laboratory animals, usually mice or rats, have shown several types of gene anomalies which affect liking for alcohol. The genes identified so far control certain proteins in the brain circuits where stimulation and positive rewards link with memory and behaviour. These animals usually need some initial rehearsal to get started on their drinking careers, but then work hard for alcohol and drink it in large amounts.

Some genetic manipulations have produced strains of particularly heavy-drinking mice that are also more aggressive than their peers.

Might early hunter-gatherers who could drink a lot (and perhaps were sometimes more aggressive) have survival credential? This is plausible. They might have taken more risks, and been good at bringing home the bacon. Although they might have died younger than their peers, this would not have been an evolutionary disadvantage if they had already produced offspring, especially if they'd been brave enough to go to the next village and improve the mix of genes further.

So if binge drinking is in our genes, for some at least, as well as in our ancient customs, surely it will be too entrenched to change? The Scottish Executive's wish in the 2002 Plan for Action on Alcohol Misuse, to change Scotland's drinking culture, would seem forlorn. The suggestion of the 2003 Nicholson Report on Licensing, to replace our drinking culture by a Mediterranean style of drinking (mainly wine with meals), might risk adding to our repertoire, rather than substituting one pattern by another..."
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Official says pregnancy is no time for alcohol
Starbulletin.com, September 28, 2003
"A pregnant woman who drinks alcohol can damage her child's brain and no amount is safe to drink, says a national specialist on fetal alcohol.

"There is no way to say a certain amount might be safe, so the only safe amount to drink is none," emphasizes Dan Dubovsky, with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center for Excellence in Rockville, Md.

He will speak at a series of meetings with pediatricians, health, human services and justice system professionals tomorrow through Friday on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.
The public, policymakers and people concerned with developmental disabilities are invited to a presentation from 3 to 5 p.m. tomorrow in the State Capitol auditorium. The topic: "Improving the Quality of Life for Individuals Who Struggle with School, Work and/or Relationships: Exploring the Reasons and Responses."

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a developmental disability caused by prenatal alcohol exposure..."
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See this link also FASD

Air Force Academy gets tough on alcohol
CNN.com, September 26, 2003
"Air Force Academy cadets who break rules on alcohol use will be treated like anyone else in the military under a tough new policy following the school's sexual assault scandal.

Punishments could include reprimands, loss of privileges, brig time, forfeiture of pay and reduction in rank, school officials told The Associated Press on Friday...

...Alcohol was involved in 40 percent of the 142 sexual assault cases at the academy in the past decade, according to an Air Force inquiry completed in June.

Brig. Gen. Johnny Weida had written to cadets earlier this month warning of the impending changes.

"This policy change is necessary because alcohol has been a major contributing factor in cadet criminal misconduct, including sexual assaults, battery and integrity offenses involving cadets over the past several years," Weida wrote..."
Fulltext of article

Sunday alcohol sales under review
The Augusta Chronicle, September 27, 2003
"The sale of alcohol in grocery and convenience stores on Sunday could be on the way out, but it won't be sorely missed in Aiken, store owners and beer buyers said Saturday.
It really wouldn't be a big deal to us," said Thomas Jones, who was perusing the beer aisle at the Food Lion grocer store on Richland Avenue with Leroy Jones.

"We'd just come get it Saturday at quarter to 12," said Mr. Jones, who has bought beer on Sundays only three times since it became an option in June.

On Monday, a panel of administrative law judges are reviewing Sunday beer sales in Greenville, where officials have contested beer and wine applications from five convenience stores, according to the Revenue Department, which requested the hearing for clarification.

A spokesman for the department said he wasn't sure what the implications of the hearing might be. Some people said the state misinterpreted the law when it approved Sunday sales in Aiken, which is among five cities and two counties in South Carolina that allow grocery and convenience stores to sell beer and wine on Sunday.

"The Revenue Department started allowing them to sell on Sunday in June, a decision that came after a referendum passed last year in Aiken that allows restaurants and bars to sell alcohol on Sundays..."
Fulltext of article

Friday, September 26, 2003

College Presidents Discuss Problems of Alcohol Abuse
Salisbury Post, September 26, 2003
"If a disease caused 1,400 deaths and 500,000 injuries on college campuses across the country each year, would it be taken seriously?

Certainly, local colleges and universities say. And that's why they're talking about the problem of alcohol abuse...

...On Wednesday, the presidents of Catawba and Livingstone colleges and Pfeiffer University attended the North Carolina Presidents' Summit on Alcohol Use and Abuse, hosted by Wingate University in Union County..."
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Related study from Harvard University

Low-Carb Beer Fattens Anheuser Busch
Forbes.com, September 26, 2003
"The ads feature attractive young urban professionals photographed in the midst of a suspiciously sweat-free workout. At first glance, the glossy panels seem to be promoting a new health club, or maybe an innovative line of sports equipment. In fact, they're boasting the merits of a new beer.

Although counter-intuitive at first, the ad campaign by Waylon Ad in St. Louis worked wonders. That's because Anheuser-Busch (nyse: BUD) wasn't targeting your typical beer drinker. Rather, with the national launch of low-carb beer Michelob Ultra a year ago, the largest brewer in the world meant to tap into a new market--that of the Atkins diet disciple with a soft spot for barley and hops. It worked. Anheuser announced in July that second-quarter earnings had risen 7.9%, driven partly by increased sales of Michelob Ultra..."
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Related Page: Alcohol Ads Aplenty

Texas wineries ripe for growth under Prop. 11
The Houston Chronicle, September 26, 2003
"Although no one is harboring visions of creating a Sonoma Valley in Texas, this state's wine industry could get a boost if voters approve Proposition 11 on the Sept. 13 ballot.

Another measure, Proposition 4, would encourage development of more public parks in the Houston area and a limited number of other counties if local voters approve the extra debt to pay for them...

Fulltext of article

Alcohol, nicotine: Trouble for teen brains
nited Press International , September 23, 2003
"The adolescent brain is far more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and nicotine than the adult brain. The reason, researchers have found in separate experiments, is a part of the brain crucial to learning is more easily damaged by these substances in adolescents than in adults.

The research was conducted with rats and presented at a conference sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences. In one study, the investigators found alcohol exposure causes "a more powerful decrease in neural activity" in the hippocampus of adolescent rats compared with adult rodents, said H. Scott Swartzwelder, a neuropsychologist at Duke University and the VA Medical Centers in Durham, N.C..."
Fulltext of article

posted by MarkB | 9/26/2003

Alcohol Treatment Coverage Often Falls Short of Legal Mandates
Face Daily News, September 24, 2003
"Washington, DC - Employer-based health insurance plans often don't provide the treatment for alcoholism and other drug addictions that is mandated by state law, a new analysis by Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems (ESAP) at George Washington University Medical Center has found. ESAP researchers discovered that at least 10 major plans in 5 states (see chart) were not in compliance with state laws governing insurance coverage for alcoholism treatment..."
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Mexico threatens to turn off Tequila
CNN.com, September 25, 2003
"Mexico is threatening to cut off all bulk exports of Tequila, claiming it needs to tighten quality controls on the gold-plated namebrand that is owned by the Mexican government and supposedly assures every bottle's high quality. If enacted, all Tequila would be bottled in Mexico.

Mexico is the only nation that produces the alcohol made from fermented sap from the blue agave plant.

But as is usually in the case with trade fights, there are opposing views. U.S. companies suspect that by banning bulk exports used north of the Rio Grande for individual bottling, Mexico is maneuvering to steal American bottling jobs.

Peter Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council, on Wednesday called Mexico's proposal an "ill-conceived action" in violation of world trade rules.

Another U.S. industry official, who asked not to be identified, bluntly said the Mexican government was trying to "create jobs" by moving American bottling operations south..."
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Related article
Another related article

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Binge Drinking Encouraged by Mavericks
Press Release: Distilled Spirits Association Of NZ Inc, September 24, 2003
" Maverick alcohol suppliers are encouraging excessive drinking, argues the Distilled Spirits Association of New Zealand.

The Association, which represents this country's leading producers and marketers of high quality, premium spirits and liqueurs, concurs with the Alcohol Advisory Council's (ALAC) warning today following the recent deaths of two men in relation to binge drinking.

ALAC's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mike MacAvoy noted that the individuals appeared to have consumed bottles of so-called "lower strength" spirits, and believes people may be lulled into a false sense of security by the term "low strength"..."
Fulltext of article

Dispel myths, save lives
USA Today, September 23, 2003
" The damage to the nation from underage drinking is as startling as the fact that three in 10 high school students admit to binge drinking. Alcohol is involved in the three biggest causes of teen death - traffic accidents, homicides and suicides - according to a recent national study. The cost to the nation in crime, medical bills and lost lives is estimated at $53 billion a year, more than $500 for every U.S. household...

Among the damaging myths:
Alcohol is marketed responsibly. Beer and liquor lobbies tout voluntary codes that limit their ads to publications with mostly adult audiences. But that standard still allows the industry to target young audiences. The industry spent $75 million in 2001 for ads in Sports Illustrated, Maxim and Cosmopolitan magazines Although each publication has a readership that is more than 70% adult, as the industry standards require, the ads still reach a combined audience of 14 million readers ages 12 to 20, according to the Center on Alcohol, Marketing and Youth, a non-profit anti-drinking group..."
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In a City of Few Limits, One Just Got Lower
The New York Times, September 24, 2003
" A state law lowering the blood alcohol limit for drivers went into effect one minute after midnight today in Las Vegas, but most revelers seemed too busy drinking to notice.

"People who drink and drive are going to do it anyway," said Phil Blanke, a stagehand for "Showgirls" who moved here from Philadelphia five years ago and was drinking a beer shortly after midnight at the Crown and Anchor pub. "I'm not for going out and getting sloshed. It's just a question of knowing your limit."

The law, which the Legislature passed in May under threat of losing federal money for highways, lowers the legal blood alcohol level to 0.08 percent from 0.10, and joins similar statutes in 44 other states. The exceptions are New Jersey, Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

"It has reduced crashes and fatalities in other states," Capt. Rick Bilyeu of the Las Vegas police, who leads the department's traffic division, said this morning in an interview. "It adds tools to our tool kit, but there's a lot of other things we need to do, like pursuing more prosecutions with existing laws."

Of the 128 traffic deaths in Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County last year, Captain Bilyeu said, more than 40 were alcohol-related, a figure he called "pretty staggering." In the first six months of this year, the police here arrested 1,104 drivers on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, he said..."
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Tuesday, September 23, 2003

Call-in stickers used to deter drunken drivers
CNN.com, September 23, 2003
"Some convicted drunken drivers in the Florida Panhandle have been ordered to put bumper stickers on their cars asking, "How's my driving? ... The judge wants to know!!!"

Escambia County Judge William White said he hopes the bumper stickers, which include an identification number for each driver and a toll-free phone number, will reduce repeat offenses for driving under the influence of alcohol.

"We want to influence people to correct their behavior rather than just use this as sort of a monitoring system," White said.

White said he tried to use bumper stickers saying only "Convicted DUI" in the past simply to shame violators. He hopes the call-in stickers will be a stronger deterrent..."
Fulltext of article

Famous waterfall didn't inspire 'Coors falls'
The Denver Post, September 22, 2003
" For decades, many of the 200,000-plus annual visitors to the Denver area have called two world-famous side-by-side waterfalls in this high-mountain basin "Coors falls."

The story, passed like gospel truth across the jagged peaks of the San Juan Mountains and filtered around the globe, holds that the falls - one of the most photographed natural wonders in Colorado and an important tourist magnet for Ouray - are the model for the waterfall logo on Coors Light beer cans.

Prompted by the 'for sale' sign on the property near the falls, The Denver Post last week asked the Golden brewery to research the origin of the famous waterfall logo. In response, a spokeswoman for Coors Brewing determined the Twin Falls may be sparkling with pure Rocky Mountain spring water, but they are not the Coors falls..."
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Southern Comfort's Creator Returns to Promote
The New York Times, September 23, 2003
" JACK DANIEL is to Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey as M. W. Heron is to Southern Comfort liqueur.

Drawing a blank on Heron? You're in good company. Heron is far from a household name, but executives at the Brown-Forman Corporation, which makes both Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort, are trying to change that.

The company has unearthed the story of M. W. Heron, a bartender in New Orleans who created Southern Comfort in 1874. Brown-Forman is betting that Heron will help consumers develop a greater connection with the brand. The goal is to parlay consumer interest into an increase in sales and a national campaign for Southern Comfort, which Brown-Forman has brought to television for the first time.

"We've had an awful lot of success with Jack Daniel because there is a Jack Daniel; there are pictures of Jack Daniel," said Rick Bubenhofer, a spokesman for Brown-Forman in Louisville, Ky. "People like authentic brands. They like Harley-Davidson, and there was a Mr. Harley and a Mr. Davidson. People can identify with them. We think the authenticity will help us increase the popularity..."
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Britain Has Notorious Binge-Drinking Culture
Reuters London, September 19, 2003
"Britons are the worst binge drinkers in Europe and women are catching up with men in the heavy drinking stakes, the Brittish government said on Friday, urging a "more civilized" late-night culture.

According to a report by the British government, while Britons drink less than most of their continental neighbors, they drink more intensively..."
Fulltext of article

posted by Shanita | 9/23/2003

Monday, September 22, 2003

Turn on the TV, particularly during sporting events, and you're bombarded with beer commercials - and so are your children.
The Tullahoma News, September 22, 2003
"In fact, recent studies show that kids see almost as many beer commercials as adults do.

But what about ads to prevent alcohol abuse? Kids see only one such commercial, usually the alcohol industry's own "responsibility" ads, for every 60 alcohol commercials they watch.

Research suggests what most parents already know: This barrage of alcohol advertising is a threat to their children.

The federal government spends only $71 million a year on anti-underage drinking efforts, compared to $18 billion fighting drug abuse. And yet, alcohol abuse kills 6.5 times more kids than all drugs combined. Meanwhile, the alcohol industry is spending $3 billion a year on alcohol ads..."
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Related Article

Brazil Imposes Ban on Sexy Alcohol Ads
The Mercury News, September 19, 2003
"...Television alcohol advertisements featuring scantily clad models will be banned in Brazil under new guidelines issued by the self-regulating ad council of Latin America's largest country.

The guidelines banning erotic content in the ads also apply to magazine and radio pitches for all alcoholic beverages.

The rules issued last week go into effect within three months. They are aimed at reducing alcohol use among minors and heading off efforts by lawmakers to enact legislation restricting the ads..."
Fulltext of article

Georgetown Police Find Alcohol in Energy Drink
WKYT, News First, Kentucky Television, September 19, 2003
"Georgetown residents are buzzing about an energy drink. The drink, called Yellow Jacket, contains a .02% alcohol level, according to tests performed by the Georgetown police department.

The department was alerted Friday when two Georgetown middle school student was drinking the energy drink at school.

The student's teacher smelled alcohol and called school security.
That's when police stepped in and tested the beverage for alcohol content..."
Fulltext of article

San Jose to consider lifting ban on gas station liquor sales
San Jose Mercury News, September 19, 2003
"San Jose will take a new look today at an ordinance that prohibits gas stations from selling food and alcohol, a ban that three council members say is obsolete and deprives the city of sales tax revenue.

In a memo released in time for today's council meeting, Vice Mayor Pat Dando and council members Linda LeZotte and Forrest Williams urge their colleagues to direct the city attorney to prepare an ordinance lifting the ban.

While backed by many gas station operators, removing the ban is strongly opposed by such groups as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Traffic Safe Communities Network. They argue that the city doesn't need more places to buy alcohol and that lifting the ban sends the wrong message to teens and young adults..."
Fulltext of article

Struggling Against Teenage Drinking
The New York Times, September 19, 2003
"Almost everyone deplores the epidemic of teenage drinking in this country, but it seems devilishly difficult to do much about it. Drinking is so ingrained in the cultural fabric, and the long-ago failure of Prohibition has left such a feeling of futility, that few politicians are willing to take on the alcohol lobbies. Yet a new report from the National Academy of Sciences makes a persuasive case that the battle against teenage drinking could have substantial impact if it engaged all elements of society, from the federal government, with its taxing powers, to parents, who may be unaware that their children are drinking.

A panel appointed by the academy's Institute of Medicine cited disturbing evidence that young people tended to drink more heavily than adults. More than a quarter of all high school seniors reported last year that they had consumed five or more drinks in a row in the preceding two weeks. These students have turned themselves into binge drinkers who are a menace to themselves and to those around them. More young people drink alcohol than smoke tobacco or use other drugs..."
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Thursday, September 18, 2003

Handbook: U.S. beer consumption rises for 7th straight year
St. Louis Business Journal, September 17, 2003
"For the seventh straight year, U.S. beer consumption has increased, despite price hikes, poor weather, a down economy and world events, a newly released report says..."
Fulltext of article

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

Move to Sell Booze at San Jose Gas Stations
KPIX News, September 16, 2003
"The San Jose City Council voted Tuesday to lift a ban on gas station beer and wine sales.
The measure passed on a six to four vote. It now goes to the city attorney's office, which will draft a final resolution for council approval..."
Fulltext of article with Video

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

Crossroads for Online Wine Sales
The New York Times, September 16, 2003
" ...In the last few months, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, in response to legislative action and court cases, have begun opening their borders to direct-to-consumer wine shipments from other states, giving wineries and online wine retailers access to millions of potential new customers.

As a result, 26 states, including California, now allow residents to accept at least some out-of-state wine deliveries. Depending on the outcome of other court cases, in Florida, Michigan and New York, online wine sellers could find an even larger market in the coming months.

New York, which after California has the largest contingent of wine drinkers in the country, is awaiting a decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan, in a case that will determine the validity of a state law barring the importation of out-of-state wine directly to consumers. (The decision is expected before the end of the year.)

New York's law requires all sellers of out-of-state alcoholic beverages to sell to licensed wholesalers in the state, who then sell to retailers. This so-called "three tier" system, dates back to 1933, when the 21st Amendment ended Prohibition.

In court earlier this month, lawyers defending the New York law argued that it helped limit under-age drinking, since, they said, children could more easily obtain wine online than at a store. They also said the law helps ensure "orderly market conditions," since wholesalers are licensed and well aware of the state's taxing requirements, among other things.

But such arguments are not convincing, said David Lucas, owner of the Lucas Winery in Lodi, Calif., and a plaintiff in the New York lawsuit. In a phone interview last week, Mr. Lucas said the law was merely a way for New York to protect its wholesalers by forcing out-of-state sellers to cut them in on every transaction, thereby diverting as much as 50 percent of the potential profit to New York companies..."
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BRUISING FIGHT TO STOP BOOZING KIDS
New York Post, Online Edition, September 15, 2003
"Alcohol and youth make a dangerous combination, a $53 billion problem that can lead to increased crime and traffic deaths and one the government, parents and industry need to solve, the Institute of Medicine said.

The institute, a health policy advisory center affiliated with the National Academies, urged higher federal and state taxes on alcoholic beverages, tougher state drinking laws, better state identification cards and improved policies for detecting and stopping underage drinking parties.

As the report was being issued, the alcoholic beverage industry said it will increasingly target its advertising away from youth.

The Beer Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said their members plan to limit advertising to media with 70 percent adult audiences.

The current standard is a majority adult audience - over 50 percent - and the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday, in its own report, that the industry has improved to 99 percent compliance.

The FTC study was issued at the request of Congress because of the suspicion that newly popular flavored alcoholic malt beverages were being targeted at youth.

The FTC concluded that was not the case but noted that young legal drinkers and underaged kids tend to watch many of the same shows.

Besides advertising, the FTC said national alcohol policy should deal with the ways underage drinkers obtain beverages they cannot legally drink."
Fulltext of Article

Monday, September 15, 2003

Study links advertising, binge drinking
Health Beat, News 8, Austin, September 10, 2003
" Drinking and college have always gone hand in hand. But alarming statistics show binge drinking is on the rise at colleges across the country.

One study shows the marketing of alcohol has a lot to do with it.

Two for one, 25 cent drafts, ladies drink free, the signs are everywhere in college communities welcoming back students. They're promotions that researchers say not only advertise large quantities of alcohol for cheap prices, but also promote binge drinking.

"There's clearly an association between sale prices and promotions and binge drinking. While this was not an unexpected finding, it was the first time that independent measures of specials and prices offered were taken and tied to a level of drinking. This is because at colleges, alcohol is not sold for standard prices, but is very often sold at these kinds of specials," said Henry Wechsler, director of the College Alcohol Study at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Wechsler was the principal investigator in the study focusing on the role marketing plays in binge drinking. He will present his findings at the American Medical Association's science reporters conference in Philadelphia.

The study found an alarming two out of five college students are binge drinkers, that's 44 percent of the college population. Binge drinking is defined in his studies as five or more drinks in a row for men and four for more drinks in a row for women, at least once in the last two weeks.

In this study, researchers also looked at the total number of drinks students consumed, and how the presence of drink specials affected drinking behavior.

Almost three quarters of the on-premise bars surveyed offered specials on weekends, and more than 60 percent of the off-premise bars provided beer promotions. The study's results suggest the regulation of marketing practices may be an important strategy in reducing binge drinking and the problems associated with it.

"It is estimated that 1,100 college students die each year on the highways as a result of drinking and driving. This is a dangerous situation," Wechsler said.

Not to mention the countless second-hand effects like assaults, sexual abuse, noise, vandalism, missed classes and lower grade point averages. College binge drinking is not just a college problem, Wechsler said.

"Community officials are part of the problem, and they need to be part of the solution. They have allowed the irresponsible marketing practices to continue for so long and they have also not put into effect strong laws that can help solve this problem," Wechsler said.

Colleges cannot do it alone, he said. They need the help of the entire community.

Other studies conducted by Wechsler's team show college students form states with stricter alcohol marketing laws are less likely to drink and drive."

posted by Shanita | 9/15/2003

Air Force Academy Changes Alcohol Policy
San Luis Obispo Tribune, September 13, 2003
" A new policy at the Air Force Academy imposes a three-month conduct probation for alcohol violations, a change prompted after leaders noted alcohol contributed to cadet misconduct.

"While the public may tolerate college students who drink to excess, they demand more from Air Force professionals," Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. John Weida wrote in an advisory to cadets obtained by The Gazette of Colorado Springs.

Meade Warthen, a spokesman for the academy, said Saturday he could not confirm the report.
The Gazette reported the probation could include confinement to base and submitting to a rehabilitation program. A second violation prompts Military Review Committee consideration, which can lead to expulsion.

The rules follow a sexual assault scandal that erupted this year after female cadets said the academy did not take their assault reports seriously. Weida was installed after top leaders were ousted in March amid the scandal.

An Air Force inquiry completed in June found 40 percent of the 40 cadet-on-cadet sexual assaults investigated in the past decade involved alcohol.

The new alcohol policy restates existing bans on underage drinking, alcohol in dormitories and driving under the influence, but eases a rule imposed in March mandating expulsion for anyone who provides alcohol to a minor.

Cadets face expulsion if they abuse alcohol and then commit infractions such as aggravated assault or destruction of property that warrant dismissal from the Air Force."

Cadets 21 or older are banned from publicly consuming alcohol while in uniform unless attending an academy function or having a meal at a restaurant.

Cheap booze boosts campus alcohol abuse
USA Today, September 14, 2003
" Campus efforts to reduce heavy drinking among college students tend to focus on lowering demand among undergraduates, but a new study calls for efforts to control marketing that targets students with cheap alcohol. Specifically, the report urges bars, liquor stores and other campus-area retailers to stop offering nickel beers, "all-you-care-to-drink" specials and similar promotions aimed at the college crowd.

Harvard public health researchers base that recommendation on their visits to some 830 bars and restaurants and nearly 1,700 liquor stores and retail outlets in 118 college neighborhoods nationwide. There, trained experts documented the extent to which college students are targeted with promotions, specials and enticements. The results show a strong association between higher rates of heavy drinking among students and the presence of such low prices and alcohol promotions in nearby bars.

The Harvard findings, released Friday and published in October's American Journal of Preventive Medicine, echo recommendations made last week by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Noting that underage drinking costs the nation $53 billion annually in losses stemming from traffic deaths, crime and other behaviors, a federally sponsored panel recommended, among other things, that the alcohol industry end marketing practices that have particular appeal among young people. The same day, the Federal Trade Commission announced that alcohol advertisers had agreed to take steps to further keep their messages from kids.
Alcohol industry leaders say the FTC report reflects their belief in self-regulation. But Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute, said the NAS report contained "erroneous conclusions."

Meanwhile, public health experts, who have long argued that availability of alcohol and low prices encourage underage drinking, are hardly surprised by the Harvard results. But they say the documentation will support efforts to regulate bars and stores that sell liquor.

"This will give our public health community and universities ammunition to change public policy," says Donald Zeigler, an American Medical Association deputy director.

J. Michael McGinnis, an official with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the Harvard study, says the findings are "testimony to the importance of a community-wide focus on behavior-change strategies."

Still, most proponents of regulations on alcohol promotions expect an uphill battle. Consider an effort at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where 25 tavern owners agreed last year to end weekend drink specials - but only begrudgingly and only temporarily.

A better solution would be to "get the drinking age back to 19," says Marsh Shapiro, owner of the Nitty Gritty, a participating hangout. So why participate in the UW project? "We wanted to disprove their accusations," he says."

posted by Shanita | 9/15/2003

Friday, September 12, 2003  

Study Documents Low-Priced, High-Volume Sales of Alcohol Available to College Students Nationwide
Harvard School of Public Health, September 12, 2003
"Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS) released today a new study documenting, through systematic on-site observations, the extent to which college students are targeted with sales of large volumes of alcohol (such as 24- and 30-can cases of beer, kegs, and "party balls"), low sale prices, and frequent alcohol promotions at bars, liquor stores, and other retail outlets surrounding college campuses. The study, which appears in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found a strong association between the presence of these promotions and higher rates of heavy drinking on college campuses.
According to previous CAS research, underage students consume 48 percent of all alcohol consumed on college campuses. The study paints a portrait of the alcohol promotions college students will likely encounter as they start school this fall and enumerates the typical price of a beer, which can be as cheap as 25 cents. This study marks the first time that trained observers went into bars and liquor stores surrounding college campuses to obtain a national picture of the marketing practices for alcohol in college communities without relying solely on student recall.
A second study also appearing in the journal found that drinking and driving was less prevalent on campuses in states that had more comprehensive laws and stronger enforcement capacity to restrict drinking and driving, underage drinking, and high volume consumption and sales of alcohol..."
(fulltext of this article)
(See this also, but you must have PDF)

Report advocates higher alcohol taxes
Contra Costa Times, September 10, 2003
"The National Academy of Sciences recommended in a long-awaited report Wednesday that government officials combat underage drinking by raising alcohol taxes and sharply limiting liquor advertising on television and in magazines.
The report, which some hope will lay the groundwork for a comprehensive national plan to tackle drinking by minors, found that underage drinking kills 6.5 times more youths than all illicit drugs combined and that traffic fatalities and violent crime associated with underage drinking cost the country $53 billion a year.
The report received bipartisan support from lawmakers, who hailed it as the first substantial look at combating underage drinking since the 1984 legislation that raised the drinking age nationally to 21.
Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, said he would soon hold hearings on the issue.
But the recommendation to raise taxes and regulate advertising encountered immediate resistance from groups representing alcohol makers and distributors.
"The only clear results from increasing beer excise taxes are higher unemployment and higher prices for responsible adults," said Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute. "Such measures do nothing to lower teen drinking."
But people concerned about underage drinking, including Wendy Hamilton, president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, insisted tax increases would reduce consumption by price-sensitive youths.
She also agreed with the report's finding that alcohol is less expensive today than it was in the 1960s and '70s, when factoring in inflation.
"It only makes sense to adjust (taxes) according to inflation," said George Hacker of the Center for Science in the Public Interest."

Alcohol Industry to Change Advertising Guidelines
JOIN Together Online, September 10, 2003
"The beer and liquor industry have agreed to make changes to their advertising guidelines to prevent minors from viewing their ads, Advertising Age reported Sept. 9.
The Beer Institute said brewers would only buy ads in media with an audience comprised of 70 percent adults. Currently, the standard is 51 percent.
In addition, the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said it would establish a pre-review process for ads. However, members' use of the process would be voluntary.
The alcohol industry made its announcement soon after two reports requested by the U.S. Congress were released on underage drinking.
A report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) looked at the impact of ads for alcopops. The flavored malt beverages are believed to be popular with minors. However, the FTC report found "no evidence of alcohol companies targeting underage consumers."
But a report from the National Academy of Science found that alcohol ads are made "in a style that is attractive" to young people and that the ads are reaching underage drinkers."

Report Urges Tax Hike, Other Steps to Reduce Teen Drinking
JOIN Together Online, September 10, 2003
"A report issued by the Institute of Medicine urges federal and state governments, parents, and the alcohol industry to take major steps to stop teen drinking, the Associated Press reported Sept. 9.
Among the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine panel are higher federal and state taxes on alcoholic beverages, stricter state drinking laws, improved state identification cards, and better policies for detecting and stopping underage drinking parties.
In addition, Richard J. Bonnie, a professor at the University of Virginia and chairman of the committee that prepared the analysis, said that parents and other adults should avoid behavior that would encourage underage drinking.
He said a "comprehensive program involving all sectors of society and a common acceptance of responsibility" is needed.
According to the report, underage drinking costs Americans $53 billion a year in losses from crime, traffic crashes, and academic failure.
The Institute of Medicine is a health-policy advisory center affiliated with the National Academies of Science, an independent organization that provides advice to the government under charter by the U.S. Congress."

Landmark Underage Drinking Report Hailed by Field, Denounced by Industry
JOIN Together Online, September 10, 2003
"A much-anticipated report on underage drinking, released this week, called for cooperation between the alcohol industry, health organizations, governments, parents, and others to combat what the authors called the nation's biggest youth drug problem.
However, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report also called for raising excise taxes on alcohol to discourage drinking, a recommendation that led some alcohol industry leaders to immediately try to torpedo the document.
The report by a panel of the NAS' National Research Council called for broad cooperation on a wide range of measures, including beefed-up compliance checks of alcohol servers and vendors, mandatory server training, improved ID cards, age verification for Internet alcohol sales, and a national media campaign targeting underage alcohol use.
Moreover, the panel called on the alcohol industry to reform its voluntary advertising codes, saying that "a substantial portion of alcohol advertising reaches an underage audience or is presented in a style that is attractive to youth." The group also called on the industry to fund an independent, nonprofit foundation to prevent underage drinking, rather than funding its own, untested prevention messages..."
(fulltext of article)
Related Article
See the NAS Report and article

Assault on Youths' Drinking Urged
WallStreetJournal.com, September 9, 2003
"An influential federal science panel proposed a national assault on underage drinking, combining higher taxes on beer and liquor, limits on advertising and availability, and a major media campaign.
The National Academy of Sciences study is expected to provide new ammunition for state and federal lawmakers who have sought higher excise taxes on alcohol. So far, most efforts to raise "sin taxes" have failed in the face of opposition by politically powerful liquor interests.
An 'Enormous' Cost
"The consequence and cost of youthful alcohol use are enormous," the study found, from alcohol-related auto accidents to violence, sexual assault, and educational failure. It estimated the annual tab for underage drinking at $53 billion -- which includes $19 billion for auto accidents alone -- an amount "far exceeding the cost of youthful use of illegal drugs."
The beer and liquor industries assailed the study, calling its authors biased against the industry and claiming that the industry's long-standing efforts to curtail underage drinking were largely ignored. "The panel is stacked with neo-prohibitionists" and the tax proposals in particular are meant to cut overall consumption, not just underage drinking, said John Doyle, director of the American Beverage Institute, a restaurant trade group based here..."
(fulltext of article)

Report Urges Tax Hike, Other Steps to Reduce Teen Drinking
Face Daily News, September 10, 2003
"A report issued by the Institute of Medicine urges federal and state governments, parents, and the alcohol industry to take major steps to stop teen drinking, the Associated Press reported Sept. 9.
Among the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine panel are higher federal and state taxes on alcoholic beverages, stricter state drinking laws, improved state identification cards, and better policies for detecting and stopping underage drinking parties.
In addition, Richard J. Bonnie, a professor at the University of Virginia and chairman of the committee that prepared the analysis, said that parents and other adults should avoid behavior that would encourage underage drinking.
He said a "comprehensive program involving all sectors of society and a common acceptance of responsibility" is needed.
According to the report, underage drinking costs Americans $53 billion a year in losses from crime, traffic crashes, and academic failure.
The Institute of Medicine is a health-policy advisory center affiliated with the National Academies of Science, an independent organization that provides advice to the government under charter by the U.S. Congress."

Alcohol advertisers to help keep messages from kids
USA Today, September 10, 2003
"Beer and distilled spirits industries responded to two government reports on alcohol marketing released Tuesday by announcing tighter standards on how and where they advertise.
Member companies of the Beer Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council now will place ads only in media with an audience at least 70% adult. The previous minimum was 50%, set in 1999 following an earlier Federal Trade Commission report on the same topic.
The tighter codes were announced following reports on alcohol by the Federal Trade Commission and the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine and National Research.
The FTC report found the industries 99% compliant with the earlier standards. The NAS report, however, advocated more alcohol restrictions, including higher taxes, ads against underage drinking and more review of alcohol ads.
"Both reports say there is an awful lot of advertising that is reaching kids," says David Jernigan, research director at Georgetown University's Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youths. "We're happy there's been movement on behalf of the industry, but there's still an awful lot kids are exposed to."
Advertising for beer, wines and spirits topped $1.9 billion in 2002, according to TNS Media Intelligence. Most already was spent on TV, magazines, and radio with audiences at the 70% minimum..."
(fulltext of article)

Study calls on society to battle underage drinking
CNN.com, September 10, 2003
"Underage drinking is a $53 billion problem that needs society-wide treatment, including higher alcohol taxes and tougher sales laws, a new analysis says.
"This is a complex challenge ... to reduce and prevent underage drinking in a society in which drinking is common among adults," Richard J. Bonnie, chairman of the committee that prepared the new report for the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, said Tuesday.
Calling its report a wake-up call, the Institute urged a number of steps to curb underage drinking, including higher federal and state taxes, better state identification cards and more aggressive efforts to detect and stop underage drinking parties.
At the same time the report was being issued, the alcoholic beverage industry promised to increasingly target its advertising away from youth.
The Beer Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said their members plan to limit advertising to media with a 70 percent adult audience. Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-Louisiana, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called the move "responsible and appropriate."
The current standard is over 50 percent adults; the Federal Trade Commission issued its own report Tuesday saying the industry has improved to 99 percent compliance with that standard.
"This report is clearly recognition of our industry's commitment to responsible advertising and marketing," said Peter H. Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council.
The FTC study was requested by Congress because of concern that flavored alcoholic malt beverages were being targeted at youth. The commission concluded that was not the case..."
(fulltext of article)
See this artilce also from The New York Times

FTC Report Cites Improvements in Alcohol Industry Self-Regulation
Daily Alcohol News, September 9, 2003
"In response to a request from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and hearings by House Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Frank R. Wolf, the Federal Trade Commission today issued a Report on Alcohol Marketing and Advertising. The Report examines whether advertising for flavored malt beverages (FMBs) -- beverages that combine characteristics of beer and distilled spirits -- is targeted to underage consumers, as well as whether the alcohol industry has implemented self-regulatory recommendations made in the FTC's 1999 Alcohol Report to Congress. The FTC conducted an investigation of nine major alcohol advertisers, analyzing their advertisements, marketing plans, and consumer research. The Report's analysis indicates significant improvement in standards for the placement of alcohol ads, as well as improvement in the adoption of external advertising review mechanisms. The Report also found no evidence of targeting underage consumers in the FMB market. The FTC's Report concludes that while advertising self-regulation is designed to reduce the number of ads seen by minors, a comprehensive alcohol policy also must address underage access to alcohol..."
(fulltext of article)

Metro Briefing: New Jersey
The New York Times, September 8, 2003
"CAMDEN: ALCOHOL TEST DEBATED Lawyers representing suspected drunken drivers have challenged the use of a new machine to measure blood-alcohol levels that police officers in Pennsauken have been using in a pilot program since December 2001. The new test, called the Alcotest 7110 MKIII-C, uses two measures for alcohol content in the blood - infrared absorption and fuel cell tests - which the manufacturers say reduces human error in determining whether a driver has had too much to drink. Defense lawyers and Camden County prosecutors have been arguing the merits of the test in a hearing in State Superior Court that began yesterday, but the case is expected to end up in the New Jersey Supreme Court."
Metro Briefing: New Jersey

Evaluation: Getting Personal, With Alcohol
The New York Times, September 9, 2003
"A new study indicates that the first National Alcohol Screening Day, observed four years ago at hundreds of sites nationwide, has been characterized a success, both in terms of attendance and results.
More than 32,000 people attended the event in 1999, and two-thirds of a sample of participants surveyed later said they had quit drinking or cut back as a result.
According to the study, which was published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, more than half of the people who went to screening sites - on 500 college campuses and at 1,500 other community locations around the country - completed questionnaires meant to identify hazardous or harmful drinking levels or physical dependence on alcohol.
About 6,000 of them spoke to health care workers, who reviewed the results and recommended further evaluation.
A follow-up survey of about 700 participants found that half of those screened at sites other than college campuses discussed their drinking with their doctors, as suggested at the events.
Among those who said they had changed their drinking habits, 22 percent said they had quit entirely and 28 percent said they had cut back to safe levels. The study's lead author, Dr. Shelly F. Greenfield of McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., said that even if the figures were approached with some skepticism, "it's likely that most of those people had changed their behavior to some degree."
Evaluation: Getting Personal, With Alcohol

Australian Summit Addresses Alcohol Culture
JOIN TOGETHER Online, September 4, 2003
"Speakers at an alcohol summit held in Australia say that if the country wants to curb alcohol-related illnesses, it will have to work on changing the culture surrounding alcohol, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Aug. 27.
In opening the summit, Premier Bob Carr called on ministers to change a culture that promotes drinking.
"We're not here to stop people drinking, to curb enjoyment, or impose unnecessary regulation on an industry that employs more than 60,000 people in pubs, clubs, and bars alone," said Carr. "But let's ask the questions: 'Is it mateship to let your friend keep drinking when he's clearly already drunk? Is it funny to watch him pick a fight with a passer-by? Is it part of the Australian tradition to watch your mate downing schooner after schooner when you know his wife and kids are afraid of him? What sort of mateship allows a group of girls to go out drinking and do nothing when a friend gets in a car with a stranger who's been drinking?'"
In particular, Carr cited alcohol advertising that seems clearly aimed at young men despite the country's voluntary alcohol-advertising codes..."
(fulltext of article)

Diageo outlook lifts spirits
BBC News, UK Edition
"Diageo, the world's biggest wines and spirits group, has reported a 6% rise in profits.
Full year pre-tax profits at the firm jumped to £2.156bn ($3.38bn) for the year to June 30, largely in line with market forecasts of £2.08-2.19bn.
The firm, which makes Smirnoff vodka, Johnnie Walker scotch and Guinness beer, said trading had improved in North America, Britain and Spain.
It also saw a 45% increase in sales of Pimm's in the UK, during the recent hot spell.
But the company warned it faced tough trading in Ireland for its beer business and in Latin America from currency and political upheavals.
Chief executive Paul Walsh said: "There are signs that things are starting to improve, but it is too early to call it a broadly based recovery.
"We are optimistic but cautious."
He added he saw no trading improvement in Ireland and Latin America this financial year.
The firm suffered difficult conditions in the early months of the year, blaming the Iraq war, the Sars outbreak and a general slowdown in consumer spending.
Sales of its ready-to-drink products in the US and UK suffered as a result, it said.
By 0949GMT Diageo shares were 4.26p lower at 674.74p."
BBC NEWS | Business | Diageo outlook lifts spirits

Drink wine, not beer
Taipei Times, September 4, 2003
"Spanish officials looking for a way to stamp out binge drinking by young people have decided to warn them that all alcohol is bad except wine, which is good for them. Drinkers will soon encounter strictly worded health warnings on all bottles and cans of alcohol, except wine, telling them that what they are about to consume is a "danger" to their lives. The Spanish government is supporting plans to promote wine as "an important part of the Mediterranean diet." Wine's exclusion from the draft of the new law has enraged beer and cider makers who say that, with their much lower alcohol content, these drinks are less harmful."

University Ends Alcohol-Awareness Program
FACE Daily News, September 3, 2003
"As a result of budget cuts, the University of Illinois will no longer offer Alcohol 101, a computer program that educates students about the consequences of drinking, the Daily Illini reported Sept. 3.
Since 1999, the university has been providing freshmen with the CD-ROM program at the beginning of each school year. Alcohol 101 simulates a party environment where students can see how different alcoholic drinks with varying alcohol content can affect them.
"We just didn't have the resources to continue the program," said Dean of Students Bill Riley. "It was more costly than we could handle."
Riley said that he and other school officials are concerned that without the program, students would not receive information on curbing alcohol use.
"The CD provided information that students may not otherwise have had, such as how to assist in an emergency or how to act if a friend was misusing alcohol," he said..."
(fulltext of article)

Marketing the Mall
Washington Post, September 3, 2003
"...We ask this question knowing full well that the participatory events, sports clinics and autograph sessions with famous former NFL stars are great fun and the kind of buildup certainly fitting for the launch of the 2003 season. As a marketing tool, a four-day spectacle, including a concert paying tribute to the U.S. military, is probably good for professional football and the promoters of Pepsi. It certainly will be a nice celebration for the NFL's 2,000 VIP guests invited to the Thursday night concert. The Park Service has given the NFL permission to serve wine and Coors beer to its special Mall guests -- Coors being an event sponsor. Regular concertgoers will be screened and no alcohol will be allowed.
And so onto the Mall -- a space that, as the National Park Service observes, is as old as the capital city itself, one commissioned by George Washington and planned by Pierre L'Enfant to be an "ideal stage for national expressions of remembrance, observance and protest" -- comes now Pepsi Vanilla, the National Football league, and Coors beer. Is this the beginning, or will it be, mercifully, the beginning of the end for a trend out of control?"
(fulltext of article)

Anheuser-Busch Introduces Latest Bacardi
The Mercury News, August 26, 2003
"Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. is rolling out the latest addition to its family of Bacardi "malternatives," hoping the juiced-up, raspberry-spiked beverage quenches what the world's largest brewer believes is consumer thirst for more flavors.
Bacardi Silver Raz joins a lineup that includes Bacardi Silver and Bacardi Silver O3, the latter launched in March by the St. Louis-based brewer and named for its makeup of its flavoring of three oranges. Anheuser-Busch unveiled its rum-flavored Bacardi Silver a year ago.
Flavored malt beverages, or "malternatives" that are malt-based like beer but flavored to taste like liquor, account for about 2.6 percent of the beer market, though sales are expected to dip more than 14 percent this year, Marlene Coulis, Anheuser-Busch's chief of new products, said Monday..."
AP Wire | 08/26/2003 | Anheuser-Busch Introduces Latest Bacardi:
(fulltext of article)

Brown-Forman Profit Falls
New York Times, August 28, 2003
"The Brown-Forman Corporation, the maker of Jack Daniel's whiskey and Southern Comfort liqueurs, said yesterday that quarterly profit dropped 14 percent after it settled a lawsuit over the distribution of Jack Daniel's in Britain.
Net income fell to $31.1 million, or 51 cents a share, from $36.1 million, or 53 cents a share, a year earlier, the company said. Sales in the period, which ended July 31 and was the first quarter of Brown-Forman's fiscal year, climbed 11 percent, to $532.6 million.
The settlement, with Diageo, hurt profit by 11 cents a share. Diageo, the world's largest liquor maker, claimed it had the right to extend a distribution contract under an agreement that expired in 2002."
Brown-Forman Profit Falls

Survey: Moonshine alive, but not well
CNN.com, August 26, 2003
"A cluster of patients who showed up at hospital emergency rooms with lead poisoning show that moonshine did not die out with Prohibition but is still popular in some cities, researchers said Tuesday.
An investigation in Atlanta showed more than 8 percent of patients surveyed said they had drunk illegally distilled alcohol in the past five years or so, the researchers report in the latest issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
"We were under the misconception that moonshine drinking was relatively rare these days, particularly in an urban area," Dr. Brent Morgan of the Georgia Poison Center, who led the study, said in a statement.
Morgan and colleagues started their survey after four adults showing up at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta had potentially fatal lead levels in their blood.
The patients, all of whom said they had recently drunk moonshine, had seizures, a hallmark of lead poisoning, abdominal pain, kidney problems, ulcers, and anemia.
Lead gets into moonshine when certain containers are used to make or store it. Car radiators were once notorious for producing poisonous brew.
"These four patients made us realize that perhaps lead exposure from moonshine was being overlooked in the emergency department," Morgan said.
His team surveyed 531 people in the Atlanta area, of whom 8.6 percent reported they had tasted moonshine within the past five years.
Of them, more than a quarter had drunk some of the harsh liquor within the previous week.
These patients were very likely to have high levels of lead in their blood. Moonshine drinkers were more likely to be men between ages 40 and 59 and heavy alcohol users.
"To our knowledge, our study is the first to provide rates of moonshine consumption, which was higher than we expected," Morgan said."
(fulltext of article)

Iowa School Considers Detox Facility for Drunk Students
JOIN Together Online, August 27, 2003
"A proposal to create a detoxification facility for students arrested for public intoxication has raised concerns among state and local officials in Iowa, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported Aug. 13.
Iowa City Police Chief R.J. Winkelhake said the idea for a short-term health and safety facility has been in development for about five years. The proposal has been pushed to the forefront by Phillip Jones, vice president for student services at the University of Iowa (UI), who recently re-introduced it.
With the state cutting UI's budget by $60 million over the past two years, state Board of Regents member Robert Downer said the proposal would require substantial review before any action is taken.
"We're certainly not in a position to undertake new activities at this point that are not part of UI's core missions," Downer said.
But Sen. Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City) said the facility would not just serve UI students. "When you look at intoxication problems at downtown Iowa City, it's not just UI students," he said.
According to Bolkcom, residents, high-school students, and individuals living on the streets also contribute to the city's intoxication problem.
Sen. Bob Dvorsky (D-Coralville) also supports the facility, saying it would provide an alternative to the overcrowding problem in the county jail. Currently, UI students arrested for public intoxication are sent to Johnson County Jail.
Iowa School Considers Detox Facility for Drunk Students

A Message to Subscribers
Dear Marin Institute News Digest Subscribers:
Because I will be on vacation for the next few days, today will be the last circulated issue of the Marin Institute News Digest, until September 2nd. If you have any questions, or comments please feel free to email me.
Sincerely,
Shanita Jones

Nevada College Students Criticize Alcohol Ban
JOIN TOGETHER Online, August 25, 2003
"Students attending the University of Nevada at Reno (UNR) question whether the partial alcohol ban that takes effect this fall will accomplish its goal of reducing underage drinking on campus, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Aug. 22.
The ban prohibits alcohol at student-sponsored events where minors are participants. In addition, fraternities are banned from hosting parties where liquor is served.
However, the policy allows alcohol at tailgate parties, university department-sponsored parties, and events held in Lawlor Events Center and Mackay Stadium.
Chul Yim, president of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada and a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said the ban would only encourage students to have parties at private homes.
"So it's not helping the problem, it's spreading it around." Yim said. "At Greek houses, they knew when we were having a party there would be some sort of security, and we shut the party down around midnight. But now some other students are holding parties in their private houses until 2 or 3 in the morning and if the cops break it up, they just move it to another student's house."
University officials established the partial ban following the alcohol-related drowning death of a freshman last year.
"Generally, many of the events sponsored by student organizations where there was alcohol, in our opinion, were unsafe events," said Rita Laden, UNR's assistant vice president of student life services. "In addition to being unsafe, students under the legal drinking age were obtaining alcohol, and we needed to do something to prevent underage drinking and make the campus a safer environment."

Scottish Bar Owners Oppose Looser Drinking Laws
JOIN TOGETHER Online, August 19, 2003
"A policy panel plans to send 90 recommendations to the Scottish government that would liberalize Scotland's 1976 drinking laws, the Scotsman reported Aug. 18.
Among the recommendations is a proposal to remove restrictions on opening hours.
Pub owners said the recommendations could encourage binge drinking. Eliminating licensing hours, they said, could result in more drink promotions and major price cutting as bars and nightclubs compete for the same business.
The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) is also concerned that the recommendations would result in chains forcing out independently run bars.
"We believe there are far too many licenses already. These plans would send the wrong signals out and premises with entertainment licenses, such as nightclubs, agree with that. The last thing we want is a free-for-all on hours, with everyone competing with everyone else," said Paul Waterson, chief executive of SLTA.
Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson, who led the review group, said the recommendations are designed to ease restrictions on pubs that are responsible, while cracking down on establishments that cause problems with the police and the community."

The Wine Wars
The New York Times, August 23, 2003
"...Direct-shipping laws, established by the states, govern whether a consumer of wine, beer or spirits can have beverages sent straight to his home. If you have ever visited a winery and tasted a fine Chardonnay only to learn it is illegal to have a case of it sent to your front door, you have had a brush with these laws.
The issue is important to many small winemakers in California, who want to take advantage of the Internet to differentiate themselves in the crowded, $20 billion wine market in the United States. It is also a big deal for wine lovers who want to order from those wineries but can't - well, not legally.
It is a major issue, too, for state officials who want to keep strong control over alcohol sales - and for beverage wholesalers, who could lose millions if the rules change.
The courtroom battle over direct shipping may wind up in the Supreme Court. Several challenges to the shipping laws have already gone to federal appeals courts - and resulted in contradictory decisions. The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago determined in 2001 that Indiana's laws prohibiting direct shipping were constitutional. But other appellate courts decided this year that laws in North Carolina and Texas were not..."

Wis. Lawmaker Wants to Stop Minors from Drinking with Parents
FACE, Daily Alcohol News, August 22, 2003
"Rep. John Ainsworth (R-Shawano) wants to change a Wisconsin law that allows children to consume alcoholic drinks at bars as long as their parents are present.
Ainsworth's bill would only allow individuals age 18 and older to drink in bars if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The legal drinking age in Wisconsin is 21, but the current law permits parents to take their children to a bar and serve them alcohol, regardless of their age.
The Wisconsin Restaurant Association opposes Ainsworth's bill. Paul Merline of the association said responsible drinking can be an important educational experience for a child.
Merline added that tavern and restaurant owners have the option not to serve alcohol to anyone under age 21, even if a parent is present.

Urgent Call for Industry Support in FMB Issue
Probrewer.com, August 19, 2003
"The Brewers Association of America, Beer Institute, Association of Brewers and the National Beer Wholesalers Association have mounted a campaign seeking support from both brewers and consumers for a proposed change in the rule defining flavored malt beverages, also know at malternatives or FMBs..."
"Under this proposed rule, products that contain .5% or more distilled alcohol by volume will be taxed and classified as distilled spirits produced at a distilled-spirits plant, taxed at the rate applicable to distilled-spirits products, labeled and advertised as a distilled-spirits specialty, and distributed by persons holding basic permits as wholesalers of distilled spirits."
(fulltext of article)

Metro Briefing: Connecticut
New York Times, August 19, 2003
"HARTFORD: EXPANDED LIQUOR STORE HOURS Under a new state law, liquor stores are allowed to stay open until 9 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. The new law took effect Saturday. The change affects all Connecticut liquor stores and grocery stores that sell alcohol, but it is up to individual owners to decide whether to remain open for an extra hour. Many package store owners were unaware of the change and have not yet expanded their hours. Lawmakers said they hoped that the change would bring in more liquor tax revenue."

Hello everyone! My name is Shanita Jones, and I will be taking over the Marin Institute News Digest, now that Dan has left us to pursue other endeavors. If anyone has requests for certain types of stories they would like to see in the Marin Institute News, please do not hesitate to send me an email, and let me know.
Thanks,
Shanita Jones

Univ. of Colorado parties to top of list
CNN.com, August 19, 2003
"Despite a six-year effort to curb binge drinking at the University of Colorado, the school ranked third in widespread use of marijuana, fourth in the prevalence of hard liquor consumption and 11th in the prevalence of beer usage, Princeton Review reported in its 2004 findings. CU also ranked first among schools where students study the least."

U.S. Wine Market Sees Largest Increase in 10 Years
Wine Spectator, 08/10/03
"Total wine consumption in the United States increased 6 percent in 2002 to 245 million cases, according to prepublished research figures from the 2003 edition of The U.S. Wine Market: Impact Databank Review and Forecast. The growth represents the biggest annual percentage increase since 1992, the year after federal excise taxes on wine were raised..."
(fulltext of article)

DIAGEO ASSIGNS TWO ACCOUNTS : Assignments Include On-premise Marketing, Sampling and Promotions
AdAge.com, 08/04/03
"Spirits marketer Diageo consolidated its on-premise marketing with US Concepts, New York, for Diageo North America and Diageo-Guinness USA brands in most states..."
Among others, the advertising unit will handle such brands as Smirnoff, Smirnoff Ice, Smirnoff Ice Triple Black, Captain Morgan, Baileys Irish Cream, Guinness, Harp, Red Stripe, Johnnie Walker, Hennessy, Tanqueray, Grand Marnier, Moet & Chandon and Dom Perignon.
(fulltext of article)

CDC Fights Drunk Driving Among Native Americans
Join Together Online, 8/8/2003
"Alcohol plays a major role in motor-vehicle crashes among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Now, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking proposals to develop, implement, and evaluate community-based interventions to reduce such crashes..."
(fulltext of JTO News Summary)

SMOKERS in the United States are turning to tobacco-based cocktails in an effort to beat a ban on lighting up in public places
The Scotsman, UK, 8/3/03
"...Tough new anti-smoking legislation has been introduced in several states, including Florida and New York, with fines of up to £75 for first offenders.
"Bars are responding to the law changes by developing drinks to match the taste of smokers' favourite brands.
"The World Bar, in Trump World Tower, now serves up the "Smokeless Manhattan", a drink made of Churchill's port, Laphroaig whisky and orange bitters, which reportedly tastes like Marlboro Reds..."
(fulltext of article)See Also:
Smoking ban leads to nicotini drink : (Baltimore SUn, 7/31/03)
"...Call it a liquid cigarette because this drink comes complete with the nicotine rush and tobacco aftertaste found in a pack of Camels. These tobacco-spiked martinis are being served up for die-hard smokers who don't want to leave their barstools and go outside to light up..."

More Youth Exhibit Alcohol, Other Drug Dependency
Join Together Online, 8/5/03
A new study focusing on America's adolescents shows a high percentage of youth ages 12 to 17 with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episodes, and alcohol and other drug dependency, according to an Aug. 4 press release from the Medical University of South Carolina.
(fulltext of JTO News Summary)

ABSOLUT HUNK: STORY OF A WILDLY SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT PLACEMENT: Make-believe Ad on 'Sex and the City' Creates Real-Life Sensation
AdAge.com, 8/4/03
"Absolut Spirits hit the product-placement mother lode last week when its iconic vodka advertising was featured as part of a story line in HBO's Sex and the City...The experience has given Absolut a new appetite for product placement for its vodka. Absolut will also appear in a music video from Nelly and Brian McKnight, coincidentally named "All Night Long."
(fulltext of article)

NEW STUDIES TO CALL FOR TIGHTER REINS ON ALCOHOL INDUSTRY
Christian Science Monitor, 8/4/03
"Later this month, the Federal Trade Commission will issue a study on whether the $450,000 the industry spends every hour to advertise alcohol reaches too high a proportion of underage youths.
"And next month, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) plans to release a report to Congress on scientifically validated, effective programs to reduce and prevent underage drinking...Aware of the alcohol industry's enormous lobbying clout and campaign largess, more than 130 members of Congress signed a letter in June to the NAS president warning that the $500,000 appropriation for the study was not aimed at producing "a primer of suggested public-policy changes intended to adversely affect the beverage industry..."
(fulltext of article)

Budget cuts slice through social services: State's trouble could threaten matching funds that sustain programs
Marin Independent Journal, 8/6/03
"...The new California budget will reduce funding for health services in Marin County by more than $250,000, said Larry Meredith, head of the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services.
"Drug and alcohol programs such as the Marin Treatment Center are hardest hit, suffering about $150,000 in specific cuts this year, on top of a $150,000 reduction last year, officials said...The county does not provide drug and alcohol services directly, but instead passes state money to 12 nonprofit agencies. For many of these non-profits, cuts in state and county funding could mean reductions in other funding, as well."
(fulltext of article)

August Is the Most Dangerous Month for Drinking and Driving; Costs of DUI Arrest at an All Time High
Business Wire, 8/6/03
"More people are killed and injured in alcohol-related collisions in California during August than in any other month, according to an analysis by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
"The analysis looks at a seven-year period from 1996-2002. During that time, 855 persons were killed and 19,835 were injured statewide in alcohol-related collisions during August. July was number two with 815 deaths and 19,771 injuries. February had the lowest number of deaths and injuries with 632 deaths and 16,338 injuries..."
(fulltext of press release)

Assessing the effectiveness of minimum legal drinking age and zero tolerance laws in the United States
Accident Analysis & Prevention 2003 Jul; 35(4):579-87
Using data from 1982 to 1997, research indicates that [at least a substantial portion] of the decline in alcohol-positive involvement in fatal crashes by youth under the age of 21 can be attributed to the passing of two youth specific laws: 1) the raising of the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to 21, and 2)the establishment of zero tolerance laws (0.02% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for drivers under 21). The study, which looks at all 50 states plus the D.C., takes into account "potential confounding variables" such as seat belt laws and alcohol consumption.
The study does not address changes in the national norm brought about by citizen activist groups since the early 1980's (including shifts in public attitude toward and media press coverage of the drinking-and-driving issue). However, the authors argue that due to the fact that the decline in alcohol related deaths has not decreased as much by people over 21, the laws have contributed to the decline among youth and that public attitudes and media coverage could not account for the entire decline.

Nordic nanny states fret over Viking drink
Reuters, 7/28/o3
Blame it on the long, cold winters, the bright summer nights or the fermented herring that can only be stomached when numb with alcohol, but the Nordics have a weakness for drink -- when they can get it.
(fulltext of article)

AB will add 2 more Calif branches; big buy of Lewis family distribs' 9.5 Mil cases
Beer Marketer's Insights, 34(14) July 28, 03
In a recent blockbuster deal Anheuser-Busch (A-B) has acquired two A-B distribution companies from the Lewis family.
Antelope Valley Distributors and Foothill Beverage Company--one of the nation's largest A-B distributors--distribute about 9.5 million cases annually. Antelope Valley Distributors also distributes Labatt, Heineken, and other smaller brands, but will sell-off non-A-B brands as part of the deal.
With this latest distributor buyout deal, expected to close in Sept. A-B will now have 7 branches in Southern California alone, distributing a total of 37 million cases. That is 25 percent of the business in California and 50% of the business in Southern California. Southern California now has THE heaviest concentration of A-B distributors in the world.
Related QUIZ of the Day:
Diageo has had some success in making exclusive distribution deals with their distributors in the United States. In light of this tactic paying off, is Anheuser-Busch:
(A) also positioning themselves as their own middle-men for the distribution of a distilled spirits based product or products (ie. non-malt alcopops)?
(B) paving the way for the distribution of Anheuser World Select?
(C) just in In Southern California, the land of Disney, and following a corporate stop-just-short-of-total-monopoly model?
(D) ALL OF THE ABOVE

New Wine Institute chief has family in White House
SF CHronicle, 7/24/03
"...Koch's tenure at the Wine Institute started with a high-profile shift in his personal life: He became engaged in 1992 to the president's daughter. As chief of staff to Majority Leader Dick Gephart of Missouri, Koch was one of the most powerful Democratic staffers in the capital and his defection stunned Washington...Koch's ascendence marks a critical changing of the guard for the Institute, California wine's key advocate on export assistance, government funding and federal and state tax and trade policy. The Institute also leads the effort to reform direct shipping laws in state legislatures, working closely with groups that are pursuing the issue in the federal court system..."
(fulltext of article)

New BAILEYS Minis to Prove 'Good Things Come in Small Packages'
PR Newswire, 7/23/03
"BAILEYS Minis, a 100-ml single serve version of BAILEYS Original Irish Cream, are being launched this month...The convenient size of BAILEYS Minis gives consumers the opportunity to enjoy BAILEYS more regularly and with greater accessibility. Its portable size perfectly lends itself to being brought along to picnics, barbeques and beach parties..."
(fulltext of PR Newswire)

Prohibition Ends! California Ratifies 21st Amendment 70 Years Ago Tomorrow
PR Newswire, 7/23/03
"Prohibition drip by drip is the anti-alcohol movement's agenda today," said John Doyle, Executive Director of ABI, "This modern prohibitionist movement is eerily similar to the movement that gave us the 18th Amendment. Like the early twentieth century prohibitionists, it is well organized, it is self-righteous, and it has sympathetic ears in the media. And considering that nearly all of its supporters seem to be bankrolled in some way by the $8 billion Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), it's even better funded than its pre-Jazz Age forbear."
(fulltext of Newswire)
Related Quotes:
"Nearly every study disparaging alcohol in the mass media, every legislative push to limit marketing or increase taxes, and every supposedly "grassroots" anti-alcohol movement was conceived and coordinated at the RWJF's headquarters. Thanks to this one foundation, the U.S. anti-alcohol movement speaks with one voice." : (SPECIAL REPORT: Behind the Neo-Prohibition Campaign, 4/10/03)

7-ELEVEN SAYS HOLA! TO SANTIAGO CERVEZA DE ORO(TM)
PR Newswire 7/23/03
7-Eleven, the nation's largest convenience retailer -- and largest seller of cold beer -- is taking advantage of the growth in the import beer industry and leveraging their success with proprietary brands by introducing Santiago Cerveza De Oro this month. The beer is targeted toward the young drinker due to their willingness to try new products.
"Imported from El Salvador, Santiago Cerveza De Oro is brewed by Cerveceria La Constancia. Cerveceria La Constancia is a wholly owned, independently operated subsidiary of BevCo, which is in a joint venture with London-based SAB Miller, the parent company of Miller Brewing Company."
(fulltext of Newswire)

Study Faults Plan to Curb Campus Drinking
Wall Street Journal, 7/24/03, p. B1
A study to be published in the July issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol by the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS) has found no drop in the drinking on student campuses that use social norms marketing techniques in their prevention efforts. In fact, the study showed that drinking actually increased on some measures at schools that implemented these programs. The technique, promoted by the alcohol industry, focuses on reducing heavy drinking rather than discouraging or prohibiting alcohol use altogether. A spokesperson for Anheuser Busch asserts that social norms programs have made a positive change in student behavior by setting expectations for positive behavior. Critics of the approach argue that "the approach focuses responsibility on the individual and ignores the way products are marketed to college students, including underage drinkers."
Related Links:
Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS) Homepage
Google News Search with fulltext articles on Harvard Study
Reports on College Drinking : (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
Preventing Problems Related to Alcohol Availability: Environmental Approaches : (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999)

Budweiser, Miller, and Coors in Top 200 brands for Ad spending in U.S.
AdAge, 7/21/03, pp. S-1 to S-8
The top 3 mega-beer-brands made it once again into the AdAge special report "Full-Year 2002 Top 200 megabrands." At no. 31, Anheuser Busch spent $252.8 million on measured U.S. advertising spending for Bud and Bud Light. Miller beers came in at no. 51 with $201.8 million Coors brands had $172.3 million worth of media saturation The article has a breakdown of spending by medium. Only Miller had a decline in ad spending of 9.9% from 2001. Bud beers were up 10.9% and Coors spending was up 6.9%.
See Also:
TV by the numbers: Top 50 Network TV Advertisers : (AdAge, 5/12/03)
TOP 10 ADVERTISERS IN 12 MEASURED MEDIA : (AdAge, 2003) Note: Anheuser Busch and SABMiller are in top 10 for outdoor advertising

Study to Look at Young Adults as They Move from Being Social Drinkers to Developing Drinking Problems
Research Institute on Addictions Press Release, 7/15/03
"Researchers with the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) have been awarded a four-year, $1,569,584 grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to study the development of drinking problems by young adults.
R. Lorraine Collins, Ph.D., lead investigator on the study who is a senior research scientist at RIA, said the study involving young adults between the ages of 21 and 30 who drink alcohol will examine the role of affect and mood in alcohol use..."
(fulltext of press release)

Did you drink 31.5 gallons of beer last year?
"The U.S. Beer Market, 2003" has arrived!
According to the Impact "The U.S. Beer Market," total alcoholic beverage sales rose 1.5 percent in 2002. (beer rose 0.9%, wine up 5.5%, distilled spirits up 1.4%, ready to drinks were up 15.8%, and cider was down 20.9%) Beer maintains nearly 85% of alcohol market, though adult per capita consumption was down 0.1%.
The top 5 consumption states, CA, TX, FL, NY and PA, accounted for 35% of per capita consumption. Averages say that every Californian drank 28.9 gallons of beer in 2002, just below the national per capita consumption rate of 31.5 gallons. Nevada led the nation, at 46.0 gallons (or about 490 12-ounce cans) per person.
PA, IL, KS, WV, WA, and FL showed the largest gains in per capita consumption (from 5% in PA to 3% in FL). Consumer preferences for beer segments vary by market.
Total alcohol beverage media expenditures jumped 14% in 2002 to $1.7 billion. Media spending on beer rose 8% to $974 million, or 16 cents per gallon sold. Media spending on RTD's doubled to $196.3 million, or $1.07 per gallon sold! Total beer advertising by medium in 2002 is as follows:
Network Television - - $512.2 million
Spot Television - - $139.9 million
Cable Television - - $128.0 million
Syndicated Television - - $14.1 million
Spot Radio - - $10.3 million
Network Radio - - $6.0 million
Magazines - - $45.0 million
Newspapaers - - $10.9 million
Newspapers Supplements - - $3.2 million
Outdoor - - $104.7 million

SAB/Miller spending $50m to promote ´real´ Pilsner in U.S.: Pilsner Urquell targets U.S. market
Prague Business Journal, 7/21/03
Article discusses global advertising strategy for #2 international beer producer SAB/Miller and the company's plan to spend 10 percent of the $500 million dollars it has earmarked for advertising to promote the Czech beer Pilsner Urquell in the U.S. The massive $50 million campaign, produced by ad agency Ogilvy & Mather will kick-off in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle and Atlanta with the slogan, "Have you tried the Pilsner that invented Pilsner?"
The article argues that despite a mere 1.4 percent growth in the $60 billion U.S. Beer industry in 2002, import beer sales rose 6 percent, for a total of 11 percent of U.S. beer sales. SAB's attempts to make Pislner Urquell a major brand in the U.S. will be difficult in the face of competitor Anheuser-Busch's (A-B) ad spending. A-B is reported to have spent $800 million on advertising last year. A-B spent $24 million of that budget (or half of SAB's total budget for Pilsner Urquell) in three hours on Super Bowl spots alone.
(fulltext of article)
See Also:
"Pilsner Urquell to Boost Production in Quest for Major Global Presence." Impact
Global News and Research for the Drinks Executive, 33(13). July 1, 2003.

Letters to the Editor: We Need National Strategy To Reduce Teen Drinking
Wall Street Journal, 7/22/03
John C. Nelson, president-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA) responds to the July 11, 2003 Wall Street Journal article, "Amid Fight Over Teen Drinking, Panel Weighs New Tax on Alcohol." In agreeing with the article, Nelson reminds readers of the health and behavioral risks associated with underage drinking and states that 11 million underage youth drink and that 7 million of these youth are binge drinkers.
Nelson, in behalf of the AMA, argues that the alcohol industry is attempting to unduly influence the upcoming National Academy of Sciences (NAS) review of underage drinking by applying pressure to the White House and Congress through attacks on the scientists that were selected for the Study. He urges the NAS and the Institute of Medicine boards to block these attempts.
Related Link:
National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center summary of WSJ article : "Amid Fight Over Teen Drinking, Panel Weighs New Tax on Alcohol" Wall Street Journal (07/11/03) P. A1; Wilke, John R.; Lawton, Christopher

Hip-Hop Saves The Cognac Liquor Industry
SOHH.com, 7/18/03
"Emcees as diverse as Common and Snoop have long lauded Cognac as a drink of choice, with more recent references in last year's hit single Pass The Courvoisier which featured a video showcasing Busta, Pharrell and P. Diddy partying it up in a bar filled with beautiful women and hundreds of gleaming bottles of Courvoisier...According to the Wall Street Journal, Hennessy, America's biggest Cognac brand with 53% of the market, claims that young blacks represent 60% to 85% of U.S. sales..."
(fulltext of article)
See Also:
"Napoleon's Nightcap Gets a Good Rap From Hip-Hop Set: Cognac Producers May Not Speak Jay-Z's Language, But They Like the Plugs," Wall Street Journal, 7/14/03, p. A1.

Dealing With Addiction, and What Comes After
NY Times, 7/20/03
"Addiction costs corporate America billions of dollars a year in lost productivity, absenteeism and higher health care expenses. It also derails many once-promising careers...
'I don't think you're going to find a lot of C.E.O.'s smoking pot or snorting cocaine in the company restroom,' Dr. Siegel said, 'but we are seeing executives abusing alcohol and popping prescription drugs'..."
(fulltext of article)

Going up, and down, in the spirit world
Financial Times, 7/18/03
"A strange thing is happening at chic fundraisers and galas these days. Instead of champagne, those tuxedo-clad folk stationed at the entrance are bearing trays of . . . vodka."
(fulltext of article)
Related Factoid:
Absolut Vodka commissioned Andy Warhol for a print ad in 1985. The resulting piece, "Absolut Warhol" kicked off a major campaign in which hundreds of artists were commissioned to paint versions of the Absolut bottle. Why did Warhol take the $65,000 to paint a vodka bottle when he didn't even drink alcohol? He liked using it as a type of cologne...
See Also:
Absolut-ly art : Exhibit highlights vodka maker's ad campaign : (CNN, 5/5/2000)

We need to get serious to break alcohol-teen violence link
Times Leader, 7/20/03
In this article, State executive director of MADD Pennsylvania, Rebecca Shaver, advocates use of keg tagging as a primary means of reducing underage drinking:
"A videotape of teenage girls beating up other girls at a powder-puff football game in a Chicago suburb has refocused our attention on underage drinking. The behavior of the students involved is shocking and is being punished through the school and courts.
What is perhaps more shocking is the involvement of parents. It is clear that alcohol contributed to the violence. Two parents have been charged..."
(fulltext of article)

Budweiser forms alliance with Williams F1 team
USA Today 7/16/03
"BMW team on the Formula One racing circuit will have Budweiser as a sponsor through 2008, the company said Wednesday. The move could eventually facilitate getting an American driver onto Europe's elite series..."
(fulltext of article)

ECONOMIC SCENE; A LOOK AT WINE SALES OVER THE INTERNET SHOWS THE PRICE OF SOME REGULATIONS IN THE NAME OF CONSUMER PROTECTION
NY Times, 7/17/03
..."State regulations passed long before anyone conceived of electronic commerce block direct Internet sales in a number of industries, from contact lenses to automobiles. These laws were often passed in the name of consumer protection.
But do those benefits outweigh their negative effects on electronic commerce? The agency charged with protecting consumer welfare by ensuring competition -- the Federal Trade Commission -- wants to know...
(fulltext of article)

Do House Party Ordinance Laws Tackle Underage Drinking?
KPBS News, SAN DIEGO, 7/15/03
"To cut down on underage drinking, a number of local cities have recently passed so-called House Party ordinances. These laws make it a crime for adults to host underage drinking parties in private homes. Alcohol control advocates say the measures should help reduce youth access to booze. But some say the laws alone won't solve the problem..."
(fulltext of transcript)

Alcohol industry girds for battle over teen drinking report
Knight-Ridder Washington Bureau, 7/15/03
"Even before its release, a report on teen drinking has drawn charges of bias from the $110 billion-a-year alcohol industry, an intense lobbying campaign, and congressional warnings not to interfere with the industry's marketing...Activists fighting underage drinking hope - and some in the alcohol industry worry - that the report will spur aggressive anti-alcohol initiatives similar to anti-smoking campaigns..."
(fulltext of article)
Related Link:
The NHSDA Report: Alcohol Use by Persons Under the Legal Drinking Age of 21

California State University's First Alcohol Report Highlights Steps Forward
AScribe, 7/15/03
"In the two years since the CSU Board of Trustees approved a pioneering policy to curb student alcohol abuse, dramatic movement has occurred.
Called the most comprehensive alcohol policy of any university system in the country, it has produced a number of concrete results which indicate that the CSU is making inroads into the national problem of alcohol abuse at the university level. CSU Trustees will discuss the findings at the July 16 board meeting..."
The report highlights findings of such results as:
*5-10% reduction in alcohol use
*10-15% reduction in student-related misconduct
*5-10% reduction in underage student alcohol consumption
*3-5% reduction in binge drinking
*20-25% decline in alcohol related judicial cases
*30% reduction in residential hall alcohol-related incidents
*20-30%reduction in DUI
*3-5% reduction in property damage caused by excessive drinking
(fulltext of AScribe Newswire)
Related Links:
CSU Committee on Educational Policy Agenda, July 16, 2003
Google News search results with related stories

Cops use'beer goggles' to fight drinking and driving
Hometown Life, 7/13/03
"Eaton County Fair goers were encouraged by the Charlotte Police Department to get the feeling of intoxication without touching any alcohol..."
(fulltext of article)

New Survey Shows Parents Troubled by Underage Drinking and Alcohol Companies' Advertising Practices
U.S. Newswire 7/14/03
"Two-thirds of parents say that seeing and hearing alcohol ads make teens more likely to drink alcohol, and almost three-quarters of parents say that alcohol companies are not doing enough to limit the amount of alcohol advertising that teens see, according to a survey conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates and American Viewpoint for the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University..."
(Fulltext of Press Release)
Related Link:
Full Survey Results

Japanese tryout: a brew with your latte
SF Chronicle, 7/14/03
"Alcohol at Starbucks? The Kobe outlet, which quietly began selling such libations two years ago, is the only Starbucks in the world offering alcohol..."
(full text of article)

Alcohol-related incidents down at CSU campuses School administrators credit tougher prevention program
SF Chronicle, 7/8/03
"Campuses are integrating clear policies with consistent enforcement and backing it up with education...Among the preliminary results are a 5 to 10 percent drop in student alcohol use, a 20 to 25 percent decline in the number of student alcohol-related judicial cases, a 20 to 30 percent reduction in drunken-driving violations and a 3 to 5 percent fall in property damage caused by excessive drinking...Because many of the system's students are of legal drinking age and can go off campus for alcohol, the campuses had to create a relationship with the community and change the culture that encourages the use and abuse of alcohol..."
(fulltext of article)
See Also:
Alcohol abuse down at CSU campuses : (Daily Democrat 7/14/03)

College Study Says Some Heavy Drinkers Cut Back Before Graduating
Join Together Online, 7/10/03
"Researchers found that many college students who drink alcohol heavily while in school cut down on their drinking before graduation, according to a July 7 press release from Ohio State University (OSU)..."
(fulltext of JTO News Summary)
Related Link:
Ohio State University Press Release

First the target was tobacco. Then burgers. So how has Big Alcohol stayed out of the lawyers' sights?: When the branding message
Financial Times 7/8/03
"...While tobacco remains the most vilified of the legal vices, makers of fattening foods are now also being besieged by hostile lobby groups, lawyers, politicians and the media, all seeking to hold them to account for their customers' poor eating habits...In contrast - and to the private amazement of some food and tobacco executives - makers of alcoholic drinks have escaped the same level of scrutiny. This is perhaps surprising: drinkers after all cause or suffer a broader range of social ills than over-eaters, including road accidents, violent crime, unwanted pregnancies, marital breakdowns, disease and absenteeism..."
(fulltext of article)

U.S. DISTILLED SPIRITS CONSUMPTION INCREASES FOR THE SEVENTH TIME IN 10 YEARS
AP ALERT BUSINESS, 7/1/03
According to the 2003 edition of the Adams Liquor Handbook , distilled spirits consumption rose 2% in the U.S. in 2002 to 153.3 million 9-liter cases. Flavor and superpremium products are pushing the sector forward as a new "cocktail culture"--in which cocktails are viewed as a means of self-expression--is revived nationwide.
Consumption of whiskies rose 0.2% to 43.5 million cases, while non-whiskies climbed 2.7% to 109.8 million cases. Consumption of imported spirits climbed 4.6% against a relatively flat domestic market. This mirrors retail sales trends, which are rising faster than case sales. Consumer spending on distilled spirits is up 6.7% overall. Adams forecasts gains in spirits consumption again in 2003.

NBWA unveils new teen responsibility poster
Beverage World, v.122(6), 6/15/03
from BevBriefs, p. 11: The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) unveiled a new teen responsibility poster in April titled "What Do You Know About Alcohol." The poster--urging teens to resist peer pressure and to be aware of possible consequences of underage drinking--will be distributed to middle and high schools, community centers, and other high teen traffic areas.
Related Link:
NBWA press release of new poster : (NBWA, 4/24/03)

Nationwide Drunk-Driving Crackdown for Holiday
Join Together Online, 6/30/03
"Police throughout the country have begun an unprecedented 17-day law-enforcement campaign to crack down on drunk drivers as the Fourth of July holiday approaches.."
(Fulltext of JTO News Summary)

AlcoPop-cicles?
Freaky Ice is a new 4.6% alcohol Dutch product looking to expand their distribution globally. According to the distributor's product description, the product "started in the Dutch party scene and spread quickly. In hot crowded clubs and parties, creative organizers were looking for a way to refresh the crowd and add to the fun at the same time...Something self contained, easy to hand around to party goers, and refreshing at the same time was needed to keep the party hopping. ...they found the right mix of ingredients and packaged it in a squeeze tube which could easily be frozen...Freaky Ice, the only alcoholic frozen popsicle in the world."
Will these be coming to a country near you?
(Freaky Ice Homepage)
Related Links:
Sweden Bans Import of Alcohol Ice Pops : (Newsday, 6/25/03)
LICK YOURSELF TIPSY: Now it's alco-lollies : (Nettavisen, 6/25/03)

Continuous Alcohol-Monitoring Devices Under Development
Join Together Online, 6/16/03
"The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is awarding contracts to companies that develop devices that continuously monitor alcohol in a person's body, in particular truckers, airline pilots, and other workers..."
(fulltext of JTO story)

Bud Man and FedEx as a Direct Order Super-Duo?
According to a June 10, 2003 Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News article ("FedEx's Board of Directors Elects Two New Members") August A. Busch IV, president of Anheuser Busch Inc. has joined FedEx Corp.'s board of directors to serve on the compensations committee. What might the lobbying power of these two corporates do for direct shipping?
Related Links:
Direct Shipment Laws by State for Wineries : (Wine Institute, very current)
FedEx Terms and Conditions for Alcoholic Beverages

On the road: Chivas backs U.S. tour of Latin Rockers.
The Pernod-Ricard scotch brand Chivas Regal USA is taking its Hispanic marketing efforts on the road this summer. They will sponsor the Latin rock band La Ley on a 20 stop tour starting in New York on June 25 that will end in Los Angeles on July 27. The tour will be backed up with radio, online and out-of-home promotions. There will be ticket giveaways and contests, as well as sampling and signage in clubs and liquor stores in the markets where the tour will stop. Chivas marketing research found Hispanics (13% of U.S. population), account for 40% of U.S. sales. La Ley was found to have the most potential for targeting those consumers who believe music and lifestyle are important.
Advertising Age, 74 (22): 46, June 02, 2003

Absolut Partners With the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to Swing Open Closet Doors With Absolut Out
Absolut Reinforces Long-Term Commitment to the Gay Community
AP ALERT BUSINESS, 6/10/03
"ABSOLUT today announced ABSOLUT OUT, an advertising and awareness campaign that is the newest chapter in its 22-year history of support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The campaign consists of a traveling three-dimensional billboard, a national print spectacular advertising campaign and auctions of items from celebrity closets to raise money for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC). The ABSOLUT OUT billboard features nine closed closet doors in the shape of the iconic ABSOLUT bottle which, when opened, celebrate the diversity and creativity within the gay and lesbian community..."
Related Links
Absolut announces gay marketing campaign : (The Advocate, 6/12/03)
Drabble, L (2001). Ethical Funding: The Ethics of Tobacco, Alcohol & Pharmaceutical Funding: A Practical Guide for LGBT Organizations. Coalition of Lavender Americans on Smoking and Health (CLASH) & Progressive Research and Training for Action (PRTA). Can be ordered from the Tobacco Education Clearinghouse of California (TECC)

MU STUDY FINDS THAT EVEN LOW-LEVEL CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL INCREASES RISK OF INJURY
Press Release, 5/31/03
"New findings by a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher demonstrate that a person's risk of injury increases significantly after only two standard drinks, such as two 12-ounce beers. (J. of Studies on Alcohol, May-2003)"
(fulltext of press release)

Irish pubs' culture: 'Drink to get drunk'
USA Today, 6/12/03
"...A 2000 survey by World Drink Trends shows these comparisons of average annual per-capita consumption of pure alcohol for those age 15 and over:
. Ireland - 3.2 gallons.
. USA - 1.7 gallons..."
(fulltext of article)

Teen leaders help fight in war on drugs
Teen leaders help fight in war on drugs Institute recruits, trains local youths
Times-Picayune, 6/10/03
Article discusses the prevention strategy of the Louisiana Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, which teaches youth leadership skills rather than depending on scare tactics.
"Just after a visiting speaker outlined her descent into alcohol- and drug-fueled depravity for a group of students from around the New Orleans metro area, Tony Morales, 18, shrugged off her lurid tales as a worst-case example..."
(fulltext of article)

Beer-flavored ice cream? Cheers
Britain welcomes the marriage of two great tastes that work great together.
CNN Money, 6/12/03
"Scottish Courage, the big U.K. brewer, last week began selling to British consumers ice cream that tastes like Newcastle Brown Ale, one of the company's flagship brands. The product is made via a joint venture with Doddington Dairies, which, like the beermaker, is located in Northeast England..."
(fulltext of article)

Latino magazine, agency join forces
The Sacramento Bee, 6/9/03
Discusses the cooperation between a local Sacramento, CA Latino magazine and a nonprofit social services group. The two entities joined forces to try to educate Sacramento's Latino population on health and family issues, including alcohol and drugs.
(fulltext of article)
Related Links:
MAAP, Inc. : (formerly the Mexican American Alcoholism Program)

Alcohol and fans proves a heady mix for US Open Hopefuls
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE - ENGLISH, 6/11/03
Article discusses the changes taking place in professional golf, and alludes to the acceptance of a social norm embracing drunken behavior at sporting events. There has been a gradual change in the behavior of golf galleries, where fans once "restricted themselves to polite applause." According to one pro golfer, "I think fans, booze, that kind of goes with sports these days...You sit in the stands and have a couple of beers. And if you like a guy you let him know that you like him. ...If you don't like a guy, you can also do the same. I guess that's the way it is out there nowadays."
Semi-edited version available free online : (Daily Times, Pakistan, 6/13/03)

Flavored Malt Beverages and Related Proposals; Comment Extension
68 FR 32698-99, 2003
In response to a request by lawyers of Modesto's E&J Gallo Winery, the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau has extended the comment period for Flavored Malt Beverages and Related Proposals (68 FR 14292-01, 2003) to October 21, 2003. The TTB is proposing changes to the beer and malt beverage regulations related to the production, taxation, composition, labeling, and advertising of alcohol beverages marketed as "flavored malt beverages" (also known as malternatives). The government sponsored a study which showed that over 75% of the alcohol in most malternatives is derived from alcohol flavoring additives rather than from the fermentation of malt and grain. The proposed regulations would allow a beverage to be taxed as beer and regulated as a malt beverage only if the addition of alcohol in flavorings and other additives is less than 0.5% by volume of the finished product. There are currently different taxes applied to a product, depending on whether the alcohol is derived from distilling or brewing.
Related Links:
Flavored Malt Beverages and Related Proposals : (68 FR 14292-01, 2003)
Gallo in midst of malt fight : (Sacramento Bee, 6/7/03)
New malt rule will kill market, says industry executive : (Louisville Courier Journal, 6/10/03)

U.S. Drinking Age Questioned
Join Together, 6/10/03
"Some are questioning why the U.S. is one of only four nations with a legal drinking age of 21, although there is no organized campaign behind the criticism.
Although the United States is one of only four nations with a legal drinking age of 21, there is no organized campaign to lower the standard, the Voice of America reported June 4..."
(Fulltext of JTO News Release)
Related Links
US Legal Drinking Age Becomes Subject of New Debate : (Voice of America News, 6/4/03)
Q&A: ALCOHOL: UNDERAGE DRINKING : (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Drinking Age Limits : (International Center for Alcohol Studies, March 1998)
Note: ICAS is an industry sponsored group.
The NHSDA Report: Alcohol Use by Persons Under the Legal Drinking Age of 21 : (SAMHSA, May 3003)

Is Coors turning to kids to help its market share?
Even though Pete Coors may say that, "21 means 21" in America, according to a May 30, 2003 CCNMathews wire MASEV, a "leading experiential youth marketing agency in Canada and the United States" has recently landed Coors Canada as a client. The company is "gaining recognition in the marketplace for its ability to conceptualize, develop and execute highly successful youth marketing programs for a wide array of corporate clients." According to the 6/1/03 Promo, another agency that lists Coors as a client is the Alloy Marketing and Promotion (AMP) Agency, a division of Alloy, Inc. Alloy Inc. describes themselves as "a media, direct marketing and marketing services company targeting Generation Y, the more than 60 million boys and girls in the United States between the ages of 10 and 24." This, of course, doesn't necessarily mean that Coors is directly targeting the youth market, just that they are hiring agencies that specialize in directly targeting the youth market.
Related Link:
Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau Names AMP Agency Official Marketing Partner for Spring Break 2003

Don't toast that diploma with alcohol
Contra Costa County Times, 6/5/03
"Graduation time has come for many young people. Those graduating from high school often attend many celebrations, and all too often alcohol is available to those young people..."
Article contains some quick facts explaining the consequences (in California) of getting caught drinking and/or driving.
(Fulltext of article)

Just how "Liquored Up" can pop culture be?
If you happen to be in the Los Angeles between Jun. 14 - Jun. 30, the Art Coalition Gallery is hosting an exhibit called "Liquored Up." The show will contain "Drinking-related works by resident artist Amy Roth and a dozen others. Featured artist is Shaunna Peterson, whose artistic influences include pinstriped hotrods, lingerie ads and Mad magazine."
Price: Free
5227 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood
Information: 818-506-0938

Miller Brewing Campaign Comes to an Abrupt End
NY Times, 6/4/03
"The "Cat Fight" commercials for Miller Lite beer, among the most contentious and talked-about series of spots created by Madison Avenue in recent years, are coming to an abrupt end. The sponsor, Miller Brewing, has apparently decided it does not want the image of its largest brand to be defined by a sexual sell, especially when consumers do not seem to be buying..."
(Fulltext of article)
Related Links:
The following links contain streaming video of the 1st and last (#4) of the Miller commercials. There are also further links to the other 2 commercials:
CUE THE BREASTS, IT'S MILLER TIME : (AdAge.com, 1/20/03)
MILLER CANS 'CATFIGHT,' READIES 'PILLOW FIGHT' : (AdAge.com, 6/2/03)

LABATT INNOVATES AGAIN WITH THE LAUNCH OF DNA
Canada Newswire English
"Labatt Breweries continues to build innovative momentum, this time with its launch of DNA, an alcoholic beverage with spring water and a natural lemon flavour. This new beverage, which was developed in Australia and has since taken 42 countries by storm, is being sold in Québec under the name ADN and in the rest of Canada as DNA..."
The product is clear, 7 percent alcohol, is packaged in a clear bottle with all-black brand identification, (the letters written across a digital fingerprint) and has a "natural lemon flavor."

Antioxidants may protect against alcohol damage
Sacramento Bee, 6/3/03
"WASHINGTON (AP) -- Antioxidants, already widely promoted as cancer-fighters, also may help protect the brain from chronic alcohol damage.
Chronic alcoholism damages parts of the brain used in learning and memory, but giving rats an antioxidant protected them from the damage, according to researchers working in the United States and Spain..."
(Fulltext of article)

This Bud is not for you...
GrandPrix.com, 6/2/03
After the disintegration of a deal in which Anheuser Busch was to sponsor Ferrarri's Jean Todt, A-B has announced a three-year extension to its current deal in NASCAR with Dale Earnhardt Inc. The deal, worth an estimated $60 million dollars, stands to earn a profit for A-B, as they will take a percentage of the profit earned by Dale Earnhardt Jr's merchandising operations.
(Fulltext of article)

Brown-Forman bets on marketing : Ad drive boosts earnings to goal
The Courier Journal, 5/31/03
An 8 percent boost in the marketing budget for its spirits brands yielded an overall increase in profits for Brown-Forman. Total sales rose 8 percent from $527.2 million to $571.4 million despite losses in sales of wines and durable goods (china tableware and luggage). Wine sales are down slightly. Fetzer sales are flat and Bolla Wines are down one percent. The company plans to boost advertising again in 2004. Sales volume is up four percent or Jack Daniel's and one percent for Southern Comfort despite higher prices for both brands. Finlandia Vodka will receive more marketing support in response to the weak sales caused by the 100 new vodkas entering the market. Jack Daniel's Original Hard Cola will receive less marketing support due to fading sales after the September 2002 release. Distribution of the flavored malt beverage will increase for the summer season and advertising will be limited to television.
(Fulltext of article)

Tons of Booze Dumped on Farm
NY Times, 6/2/03
"State environmental officials are considering levying fines and other penalties against whoever dumped more than 145,000 cases of stagnant rum at a western Pennsylvania farm...the liquor was discontinued in August by London-based Diageo, which hired Houston-based shipping company Satellite Logistics to dispose of some of the 4 million cases of the rum left over..."
(Fulltext of article)

Study Says Alcohol Can Make People More Cautious
"New research suggests that alcohol could actually lead people to be more cautious in their decision-making, rather than impulsive, the National Post reported May 27...what the studies show is that if you do make those inhibiting cues more salient -- for example if there were posters or signs in the washroom warning people about the dangers of behaviors like drinking and driving or having sex without a condom -- if there's this reminder when they're intoxicated, they might focus on and act on those cues..."
(Fulltext of Join Together Summary)

What can get you drunk and keep you awake?
No, it's not "Buzz Beer," the imaginary coffee flavored beverage sold by the characters on television's "The Drew Carey Show." It's the new Zygo Peach Flavored Vodka, from New York, NY-based Icon Brands. According to the product literature it is the "first and only energy spirit." Weighing in at 70 proof, the the product is touted as containing "revitalizing ingredients" similar to those found in an energy drink. Icon Brands claims it will "give you the energy to keep you going long into the night (or morning!). Now you can turn any traditional vodka drink into a sophisticated energy cocktail."
(Product Announcement on BevNet)

Local brews power the world of beer; Interbrew chief touts global belief in district labels
Toronto Star, 5/29/03
"Think globally, brand locally..."
Interbrew company market research shows that beer drinkers respond better to products with local character. Under John Brock, chief executive since February 2003, Interbrew will focus on marketing beers within their country of origin. This in contrast to the global brand marketing practices of their primary competitors, Anheuser Busch and Heineken. The exception to this practice is with Interbrew's two flagship brands, Belgium's Stella Artois and Germany's Beck's, which are advertised globally and are introduced to local markets in order to "augment, rather than replace, local brands." Interbrew is the third largest brewer of beer internationally.
(Fulltext of article)