09-15-2011
The virtual elimination of alcohol energy drinks from store shelves did not end state attorney generals’ interest in alcohol policy. State AGs will continue their efforts to “curb youth access” to alcohol. That was one of several takeaways from Washington State AG and current president of the National Association of AGs Rob McKenna’s talk to the Center for Alcohol Policy symposium recently. While not detailing future actions or recommending specific policies, he made several “concerns” very clear. They include:
• High-alcohol, single-serve flavored malt beverages in large containers, dubbed “super-sized alcopops” by other folks on CAP agenda (see September 9 Update). McKenna asked “what is the message sent?” by having “cheap packages” of these products in “every gas station and c-store.” Will Washington take specific action on high-alcohol single-serves? “It’s not clear,” McKenna said, though there’s some interest along those lines. Legislation like that is difficult to obtain, he suggested, and perhaps “more time needs to pass” before legislators see the need for action. He has “encouraged” the liquor control board to “step up.”
• “Unprecedented levels of youth exposure to alcohol marketing.” Evidence suggests marketing exposure “speeds up onset” of youth drinking and increases consumption of those who have already started, said McKenna. AGs “have an obligation to protect our youngest citizens -- as well as responsible businesses “ from potentially unfair marketing practices by some in the industry who place short-term profits and market share over the lives of our young people and public health.” Rather than focus on restrictions, McKenna talked about ensuring a “level playing field” for the industry. AGs “don’t want companies to feel they must cheat” or “be irresponsible to compete.” He mentioned that the tobacco master settlement with the AGs restricted ads, which “helped a lot.” But AGs (and others) also made it “more expensive to smoke” and McKenna said that was “more important than ad restrictions.” Yet he did not advocate higher taxes. McKenna said AGs not so much seeking to raise prices, but are concerned about alcohol beverages “becoming more powerful and a lot cheaper.”
• AGs would like to see “industry move cautiously with new forms of social media,” including social networking sites, and marketing strategies that exploit technological advances. Again, he asked “what message is sent?” when consumers can access alcohol beverage websites “without real age verification” or brewers put “snap tags on beer bottles” so consumers can “have a conversation” with a given brand. McKenna also reiterated the AGs position that industry voluntary guidelines should restrict ads to audiences where audience aged 12-20 is less than 15%. “Ads and marketing matter,” said McKenna; AGs “don’t want to see a race to the bottom.”
While McKenna talked about tobacco and the master settlement, he did draw a distinction between tobacco and alcohol, saying “there’s no such thing as responsible tobacco use.” He also praised the “good work done” by alcohol industry members to address responsibility issues. Industry members “stepped up in a more proactive way than we ever saw in tobacco.”
Interestingly, McKenna mentioned several times the “growth in binge drinking” among high school and college students as another area of concern. While binge drinking rates have not fallen as sharply as other measures, most survey data shows long term declines in binge drinking as well, certainly not increases.
