[Alcohol advertising in written mass media in Spain].
BACKGROUND
Alcohol advertising is a powerful factor of incitation to consumption. We analyzed the alcohol advertising, especially that youth-focused, in written mass media in Spain during the period 2002-2006.


METHODS
Annual cross-sectional study of advertisements in 41 widely difused written mass media (average readers: 10,1 millions).


RESULTS
Media admitting alcohol publicity were 29% in the whole. (2,9 millions of readers on average, 29% of total readers). Alcohol advertising constituted the 3,8% of global publicity and the 8,6% of the publicity in media admitting alcohol publicity. In this period only 4% of the media (2,4% of total readers) inserted antidrug campaigns. In brief, three out of 10 total readers and one out of 12 people older than 15 years suffered the impact of tobacco advertising. Young people were included in 33% of alcohol advertisements and 3 out of 6 of youth-oriented magazines permitted a such publicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol publicity remains high in written mass media in Spain. By contrast few people received informative antidrug campaigns. Advertising was preferentially directed to young people.
Montes-Santiago
J
J
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario-Meixoeiro, Vigo, Pontevedra. julio.montes.santiago@sergas.es
Alvarez Muñiz
M L
ML
Baz Lomba
A
A
D000329:Advertising / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D013030:Spain