Experts
Concerned About Girls' Alcohol Use
A gradual shift over the past few years has resulted in teenage
girls surpassing boys in the amount of alcohol they consume, the
Christian Science Monitor reported Aug. 14.
In a study of 12- to 17-year-olds, the National Center on Addiction
and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York identified
several factors that motivate girls to start drinking. Among them
are an increased presence of drinking in the American culture, rising
rates of stress and depression among youth, and absent parents.
Joseph Califano, president of the center, added that, "many
girls want to be one of the boys."
Because alcohol advertisements promote sexuality, Jean Kilbourne,
a visiting research scholar at the Wellesley Centers for Women,
said alcohol's disinhibiting effects also appeal to girls who feel
enormous pressure to have sex.
A study by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown
University in Washington looked at the influence that alcohol advertising
has on consumers. For the study, researchers examined the advertising
content and readership ages of popular magazines such as Vogue,
Cosmopolitan, Maxim, and Sport Illustrated.
The study found that minors saw more alcohol advertising than adults
in 2002, with teen girls more likely to be exposed to the advertising
than teen boys.
"Targeting women is nothing new," said Susan Foster of
CASA. "The alcohol industry, just like the tobacco industry,
knows that if you want a lifetime heavy drinker, the best way is
to start them early."
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