Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118204

Mark Wolfson, PhD¹, Barbara Alvarez Martin, MPH¹, Kimberly G. Wagoner, MPH², and Eun Young Song, PhD³. (1) Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School Medicine, 2000 West First Street, Piedmont Plaza II, Winston-Salem, NC 27104, 336-716-0380, mwolfson@wfubmc.edu, (2) Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, PO Box 573050, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-3050, (3) Section on Social Sciences & Health Policy, Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 2000 w. First St., PPII #204, Winston-Salem, NC 27104

The promotion of flavored malt beverages (FMBs) to youth has aroused the concern of public health advocates in recent years. It is argued that these sweet-flavored beverages are being promoted as “gateway” drinks for inexperienced underage drinkers. However, evidence of the extent of FMB use by adolescents has just recently begun to be reported in the literature. In this paper, we report the results of a 2004 telephone survey of 7103 adolescents, age 14 through 20, living in 70 communities in five states (California, Connecticut, Florida, Missouri, and New York). Ever drinkers in this sample (N=4261) were asked whether they had consumed an FMB (examples of FMBs were provided to the respondent); 58% reported that they had. Thirty-one percent of FMB consumers reported having consumed an FMB in the past 30 days. Self reported consumption of FMBs was associated with gender (54% of male ever drinkers and 62% of female ever drinkers; p<.001) and increased with age (41% of 14-year old, 52% of 15-year old, 60% of 16-year old, 63% of 17- and 18-year old, 62% of 19-year old, and 59% of 20-year old ever drinkers; p<.001). Three beverages—Smirnoff Ice, Mike's Hard Lemonade, and Bacardi Silver—accounted for 83% of the FMB consumption reported by adolescents in our sample. Evidence of widespread use of FMBs by adolescents has important implications for public policy and prevention efforts.

Learning Objectives:

• To demonstrate an understanding of the epidemiology of Flavored Malt Beverage Use by adolescents.
• To be able to articulate the implications of adolescent Flavored Malt Beverage Use for policy and prevention efforts.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Alcohol

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.