Back to Annual Meeting

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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

James F. Mosher, JD and Allyson S. Hauck, JD, MPH. Center for the Study of Law and Enforcement Policy, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 6062 Graham Hill Road, Suite B, Felton, CA 95018, 831-335-1000, ahauck@pire.org

In the past 10 years, a new alcoholic beverage known as “flavored malt beverages” or “alcopops” has hit the U.S. market. These drinks have become a major public health issue. Previous APHA presentations have documented their potential adverse effects on young people, particularly girls, and the deceptive practices of the producers, who market these as beer, even though under most state laws it is a distilled spirit.

Due to the public health threat to California's youth, a Coalition was formed to educate the public about these drinks, to pressure California's ABC department to properly classify these drinks as distilled spirits and not beer, pursuant to California law, and enact stricter laws to prevent the alcohol industry from advertising these products in media outlets with high youth viewership. This coalition has participation from various advocacy groups from throughout the state, including a strong youth component. The coalition created a three prong strategy for moving public policy goals forward: legislation, litigation and research. It has developed a partnership with a public interest law firm, which has filed a Writ of Mandamus against California's ABC demanding that the Department enforce existing laws that classify alcopops as distilled spirits instead of beer. The coalition has also worked with state legislators to introduce supportive legislation, developed a media campaign and is conducting a youth focus group study. This paper will document the efficacy and outcome of these efforts and offer suggested strategies for other states.

Learning Objectives: