"Mike's Hard Lemonade" too Easy a Sell to Underage Drinkers

National Consumers League urges U.S. beer and distilled spirits industries to avoid these popular Canadian products and to encourage Canadian counterparts to do the same

WASHINGTON, DC...The National Consumers League has asked the Federal Trade Commission, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Beer Institute to look into the advertising and labels of a Canadian alcoholic beverage, "Mikes Hard Lemonade," that was recently introduced into the U.S. market. NCL believes this product is intended to appeal to underage drinkers.

"Mike's Hard Lemonade" is a mixture of beer and lemonade. It combines more alcohol than most beers with a sweet drink that is a family favorite, especially for children. It comes in a clear glass bottle that looks like and is promoted as lemonade. The sweet flavor masks the 5.2% alcohol content, making it easy for teens to consume a large quantity of alcohol quickly.

"Mike's Hard Lemonade" is a product designed, labeled, and (in Canada) advertised to appeal to an underage audience." said NCL President Linda Golodner. "It violates several provisions of the Beer Institute's Advertising and Marketing Code including guidelines regarding advertisements that suggest intoxication is acceptable conduct and guidelines that say marketing materials are intended for adults of legal purchase age. We urge the Beer Institute to make it absolutely clear to the manufacturers and distributors of this product that marketing to youth is strictly off limits." NCL has requested that the ATF and the FTC look into the product and its labeling and advertising practices.

Underage drinking is a major public health problem. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, alcohol is involved in more than one-fourth of teenage suicides and homicides, the second and third leading causes of death in that age group. A 1999 FTC report, "Self-Regulation in the Alcohol Industry: A Review of Industry Efforts to Avoid Promoting to Underage Consumers," states that one-third of 12th graders reported engaging in binge drinking, and over 40 percent of college students engage in binge drinking. The report found that young people do their heaviest drinking before age 21.

NCL has called for a third-party independent review board to ensure that alcohol advertising is not targeting underage consumers. NCL believes the following provisions should be part of a single alcoholic beverage advertising code:

• For ads on television and in magazines, a significant majority (70 percent) of the audience that is viewing these ads should be at least 21 years old.
• Prohibit ad content that contains substantial underage appeal.
• For product placement in movies and television, restrict the promotional placement of alcohol products to "R" and "NC-17" rated films.
• Prohibit college and university on-campus and spring break sponsorships and advertising.

"Products like "Mike's Hard Lemonade" serve as reminders of the importance of a code," said Golodner. "The ultimate goal is to reduce or eliminate underage drinking. If the alcohol industry truly believes it is a responsible advertiser, then it has nothing to fear from independent third party review of its advertising. In fact, if the industry embraces this new system, it would help build trust with consumers that it is a responsible industry that does not target kids," she said.

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. NCL's three-pronged approach of research, education and advocacy has made it an effective representative and source of information for consumers and workers. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to representing consumers on issues of concern.