Removing the Landmines: Youth at Risk James F. Mosher, JD Alcohol - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Removing the Landmines: Youth at Risk

James F. Mosher, JD Alcohol Policy Consultations September 29, 2010

Presentation at the Recovery Happens 2010 Conference entitled: Youth & Alcohol: Reducing the Risks Conference sponsored by Ventura County Behavioral Health Department, Alcohol and Drug Program. VCBH

Ventura County Behavioral Health Department

Best Science, Best Service, Best Outcomes”

A Division of Ventura County Health Care Agency

Alcoholic Energy Drinks (AEDs): What are they?

• Prepackaged beverages

that combine alcohol with high levels of caffeine and

• ther additives
• Contain between 4% and

12% alcohol in 8 oz. to 23.5

• z. cans

Added to

Depressant Stimulant Alcoholic Energy Drinks: Impact on Adolescents

Caffeine Use

• Caffeine is “generally recognized as safe”

by the US Food and Drug Administration as an additive to soda

• Minimum “safe”

level of use in adolescents is unknown as studies are based on adults

Caffeine Use

• Disrupts sleep patterns
• Falsely stimulates the reward and

reinforcement system of the brain.

Adolescent brains are still developing and are more vulnerable to these and other negative effects.

(Temple, 2009)

Risk Taking and Caffeine

Studies have found that energy drink consumption among college students and adolescents is associated with:

• Increase in impulsivity and sensation seeking
• Sexual risk taking
• Tobacco & illegal drug use
• Aggressive behavior
• Attention & conduct problems

(Jones and Lejuez, 2005; Miller, 2008)

The Energy Drink Market: Youth Driven

• One in three teens are

likely to use energy drinks compared to one in ten adults.

• Youth consumption is

rapidly increasing.

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Regular Users Heavy Users (10+/month) Youth (12-17) Adults (18+)

Youth/Adult Energy Drink Consumers

Mintel International Group 2007

Annual Sales of Energy Drinks U.S., Billions of Dollars

[Projected] Source: xowill-team.com

Why are these potentially harmful?

Joose is 12% alcohol in a 23.5 oz can One can of Joose is similar in alcohol content to almost 5 shots, 5 bottles of beer

• r almost an entire bottle of wine with an

unknown amount of caffeine

Alcohol + Energy Drinks = Increased Risk of Injury

• Stimulants cause a reduced

subjective feeling of intoxication.

• Alcohol’s effects on motor skills,

judgment, and mental acuity are not affected by stimulants

• S. E. Ferreira, Marco T. de Mello, S. Pompe´

ia,& M. L. Oliveira de Souza- Formigoni 2006.

• The result: Increased risk taking and

increased risk of injury – A “Wide Awake Drunk”

• Young, inexperienced drinkers are most

likely to confuse the effects of mixing stimulants with alcohol.

Alcohol + Energy Drinks = Increased Risk of Injury

College Students are at Particular Risk

Students who mixed alcohol and energy drinks had double the risk of:

• Being hurt or injured;
• Requiring medical attention;
• Driving with an intoxicated

driver;

• Being taken advantage of

sexually; or

• Taking advantage of another

sexually.

(O’Brien, 2007)

Patrons leaving bars in a college community reporting consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages were:

• three times more likely to be highly intoxicated
• four times more likely to report an intention to

drive than other drinking patrons.

(Thombs, et. al, 2009)

Ventura County, CA car crash caused by a drunk driver who consumed Joose Alcoholic Energy Drink

“Total Marketing… combines all the key marketing elements into a single orchestrated thrust.”

A Promotion Place Product Price

The 4 Ps of Total Marketing

Which of these energy drink brands contain alcohol?

Blurred Lines Between Energy Drinks and AEDs

At One San Diego Middle School…

Jovita Juarez, a Prevention Specialist, made a presentation to staff at the school about energy drinks. After the presentation, teachers checked the campus during lunch to see how popular the drinks were. They found that 12 of the 43 students with energy drinks were drinking alcohol

(Oct 2007)

Retailer Product Confusion

Typical AED Website

Place/Availability of AEDs

West Ventura County Retail Alcohol Outlets*

• All Liquor Stores
• All Circle “K”’s
• All 7-11’s
• Almost all of Mom & Pop Markets
• All Gas Stations where alcohol sold
• Von’s, Alpha Beta, Ralph’s

*Based on results from an on-site survey conducted in 2008.

$2.39/16 oz = $.15/oz

($4.00/32 oz = $.125/oz)

$2.59/23.5 oz = $.11/oz

Price Comparison: Energy Drinks vs. AEDs

AEDs: Mixing Energy Drinks with Alcohol

+

“Perfect Mix”

“The Ultimate Mixer”

“The Ultimate Mixer”

Images from Liquid Ice’s website

Alcohol + Energy + Sports?

Actual comment from the Joose website

State Attorneys General Investigation

• Miller/Coors and

Anheuser-Busch agree to remove stimulants from Sparks, Tilt and Bud Extra.

• Miller/Coors agrees to

discontinue youth-oriented marketing for Sparks.

State Attorneys General: Action on Alcoholic Energy Drinks

WA OR

CA

UT NM

Alaska Hawaii

NE AR IL VA MD ME VT NY CT

Signed agreements with A-B & Miller and signed letter to TTB Signed letter to TTB

TN MI AZ RI WY ID KA IA KY WV OK LA MS AL SC MA DC OH SF

State Action

• Montana reclassifies AEDs as distilled

spirits (2009)

• California and Washington consider

legislation to ban AEDs (2010)

• States launch educational campaigns

(2009 – 2010)

State Educational Posters

Action at the Federal Level

• In November 2009 the Federal Drug

Administration required manufacturers of beverages that combine alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulants to prove their products are safe. The investigation is still pending.

• In July 2010, four U.S. Senators (including

Senator Feinstein) sent letters to the FDA and Federal Trade Commission urging them to take action.

State Controls and Strategies

Call upon the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Department to revisit policies and positions regarding alcoholic energy drinks.

The Department needs to develop protocols for compliance checks focused on these drinks. It can also develop special educational materials for retailers and the public.

Strategies from Other Countries

In the wake of several recent deaths linked to energy drinks, a number of countries have instituted restrictions on their use. BANNED ALTOGETHER: Turkey, Denmark, Norway, Uruguay, and Iceland ban high- caffeine/taurine energy drinks. So did Canada until 2004 and France until 2008. REGULATED SALES IN PHARMACIES Sweden WARNING LABELS REQUIRED Canada, cautioning against use by children or pregnant women, use in large quantities or use with alcohol. UNREGULATED United States.

Thousand Oaks, CA enacts AED warning sign ordinance

What Else Can be Done?

• 1. Learn about the products, their

packaging, their risks and their settings

• f use. LOCAL MATTERS.
• 2. Encourage off-sale retailers to voluntarily

remove pre-mixed alcoholic energy drinks from shelves.

• 3. Become the on-campus expert, inform

parents, faculty, staff and admin. Monitor social networking and brand websites

What Can be Done (Re-visit Policies)?

• 4. Focus law enforcement attention on

alcoholic energy drinks. Conduct compliance checks in retail outlets.

• 5. Encourage District to take a formal

position on retail sales near schools.

What Else Can be Done?

• 6. Highlight the problems associated with

alcoholic energy drinks in the media.

• 7. Highlight the problems associated with

alcoholic energy drinks in educational materials and websites designed to alert the public to youth alcohol and other drug problems. Work with your County prevention office, Friday Night Live, Cal Youth Council

Conclusion

• Questions?
• Comments?

Dan Hicks, Ventura County Limits 805-981-9577 Visit www.VenturaCountyLimits.org