Alcopops

There is no avoiding the inevitable crash that comes after the initial rush from an energy drink. Adding alcohol into the mix just might mean that the crash also involves your car. Mix in a marketing scheme seemingly targeted at young people and trouble is guaranteed. So it comes as no surprise that Anheuser-Busch (AB) announced that it will no longer produce “Tilt” and “Bud Extra” its caffeinated alcoholic beverages after reaching a legal settlement with several states.

Even though many saw the marketing practices used to promote these products was deceptive and dangerous, honestly I could see little difference suggesting that all alcoholic beverages were marketed in this manner anyway. Several state attorney generals however decided there was a difference and took legal action.

Anheuser-Busch was marketing its caffeinated drinks to minors and misrepresenting the drinks' health benefits, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said. He was among 11 attorneys general who reached a settlement with the nation's largest brewer. ~ Fox News

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Deceptive and Dangerous Alcoholic Energy Drinks

There is a growing controversy over the marketing of alcoholic energy drinks that many consider to deceptive and dangerous.

The Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association has created an ad program with the graphic to the right that illustrates how the alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of these drinks can be easily confused. Critics say the packaging also confuses both those who sell the drinks accidently to minors and law enforcement officials who often find it difficult to determine the nature of the beverage.

Rosecrance in Rockford claims beer distributors design their products with flashy labels and bright colors to attract teenagers. Missy Godfrey with Rosecrance Health Network says, "They're directly marketed towards youth. There's obviously confusion with how they are presented. How they're advertised, how they're marketed. They're looking at a ton of new ways to market them. They're looking at text messaging. They're giving free products at some of their events." Godfrey says since both alcoholic and non-alcoholic energy beverages are stocked next to each other on store shelves, kids often get away with underage drinking. ~ WREX.com

I'll be honest; I have purposely avoided this issue for some time because I really don't see much of a difference between this type of marketing and that of traditional alcohol sales. Targeting the young, made to look hip and cool, stocked in the same stores... I mean get real, how is this any different from your standard can of beer? Yeah, I see their point, but if you want to take a bite out of underage drinking then society's acceptance of drinking and drugging in general would be a much better place to start!

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