Statement from the Beer Institute Regarding Latest CAMY Study

Statement from the Beer Institute, attributed to Joe McClain, President:

“Once again, a CAMY study is rooted in shaky ground, with taxpayers footing the bill for the group’s anti-alcohol advocacy. Just last month, Forbes ran an op-ed about an earlier CAMY report calling their work an ‘ethically dodgy masquerade.’ Existing studies do not demonstrate causality between advertising exposure and youth drinking. In fact, research shows that, by far, parents, not advertising, have the most influence on teens’ drinking decisions.

“Further, brewers and beer importers are deeply committed to responsible advertising practices and our longstanding self-regulating Advertising and Marketing Code, which includes a provision regulating the placement of television ads based on Census demographic data to ensure that we have a legal drinking age audience composition. The FTC found in 2008 that 97 percent of total alcohol ad impressions met this strict standard. While all Beer Institute member companies are required to abide by the ad code, an independent Code Compliance Review Board is in place to hear all consumer complaints.

“As you can see, we take the task of responsible advertising very seriously and actively work with educators, parents, law enforcement and policymakers to further reduce the country’s underage drinking rate, which is at a record-low level.”