Marketing and alcohol-related traffic fatalities: impact of alcohol advertising targeting minors.
OBJECTIVE
Alcohol-related youth traffic fatalities continue as a major public-health concern. While state and federal laws can be useful in tackling this problem, the efficacy of many laws has not been empirically demonstrated. We examined the impact of state laws prohibiting alcohol advertising to target minors.


METHODS
Using statistics obtained from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), youth alcohol-related, single-vehicle, driver traffic fatalities were compared by state as a function of whether the state has a law prohibiting alcohol advertising that targets minors.


RESULTS
Overall, states possessing this law experienced 32.9% fewer of the above specified traffic fatalities. DISCUSSION AND IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The results suggest that not only are youth drinking rates affected by alcohol advertisements targeting youth, but also drink-driving behaviors. Indeed, we estimate that if this type of legislation were adopted in the 26 states that do not prohibit targeting of minors with alcohol advertising, then 400 youth lives could be saved annually.
Smith
Ryan C
RC
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 202 Williams Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA. rcsmth@vt.edu
Geller
E Scott
ES
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000329:Advertising / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult