[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1976 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1976

   To require an annual report by the Secretary of Health and Human 
   Services on alcohol advertising practices, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 19, 1997

 Mr. Kennedy of Massachusetts introduced the following bill; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require an annual report by the Secretary of Health and Human 
   Services on alcohol advertising practices, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Alcohol Advertising Accountability 
Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) In 1995, the Department of Health and Human Services 
        found that there is a significant underage drinking problem and 
        estimated that there are 11 million drinkers of alcoholic 
        beverages who are under the age of 21. Of that number, 2 
        million are heavy drinkers of such beverages.
            (2) In 1996, the proportion of students having 5 or more 
        drinks in a row during the 2-week period preceding the 
        Monitoring the Future Survey were 16 percent for 8th graders, 
        25 percent for 10th graders, and 30 percent for 12th graders.
            (3) The median age at which children begin drinking 
        alcoholic beverages is just over 13 years. Fifty-five percent 
        of students in the 8th grade have tried an alcoholic beverage.
            (4) A 1995 survey found that 50 percent of the teenagers 
        who were asked said that alcohol is a more serious problem 
        among today's youth than illicit drugs.
            (5) In 1993, nearly 10 percent (over 110,000) of the 
        clients admitted to State-funded alcohol treatment programs 
        were under the age of 21.
            (6) Alcoholic beverage companies spent $2 billion to 
        advertise and promote their products in 1995. The budget of the 
        National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for the same 
        year was $176 million.
            (7) According to a study published in the American Journal 
        of Public Health, viewing beer ads on television may predispose 
        young people to drinking beer. Children who are more aware of 
        beer advertisements hold more favorable beliefs about drinking 
        beer and intend to drink beer more frequently as adults.
            (8) Almost half of all adults think that alcohol industry 
        advertising greatly influences underage youth to drink 
        alcoholic beverages, another one-third think industry 
        advertising has some influence.

SEC. 602. REPORT OF FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL ADVERTISING.

    (a) Action by the Federal Trade Commission.--The Federal Trade 
Commission shall report annually to the Congress on alcohol 
advertising, its profile and its effects.
    (b) Review.--The Federal Trade Commission shall review alcohol 
advertising in all media, including broadcast and cable television, 
other electronic means, and print and outdoor advertising and review 
promotional activities undertaken to promote the sale of alcoholic 
beverages.
    (c) Report Content.--The report of Federal Trade Commission shall 
include--
            (1) an identification of--
                    (A) the extent to which underage persons are 
                exposed to alcohol advertising in the broadcast media,
                    (B) the total expenditures for alcoholic beverage 
                advertising in each medium and in promotions,
                    (C) the extent to which media program audiences are 
                under the age of 21 and the proportion of all underage 
                persons in the potential viewing audience,
                    (D) the number of television and cable alcohol 
                beverage advertisements that appear during each 
                broadcast hour and the proportion of such 
                advertisements to all advertisements during each such 
                hour,
                    (E) an identification of the types and themes of 
                alcohol advertising in all media (especially in 
                broadcast) and other electronic means,
                    (F) any graphics, slogans, and characters, 
                including music and sound effects, and techniques that 
                are used in alcohol beverage advertising, and
                    (G) the extent to which other promotional efforts 
                used to market alcoholic beverages which appear in 
                clothing, sporting events, contests, and concerts 
                appeal to individuals under the age of 21;
            (2) a determination of the extent to which young people are 
        exposed to alcohol advertising and promotions of alcoholic 
        beverages;
            (3) an evaluation of the relationship between alcohol 
        advertising practices and underage drinking, drunk driving, and 
        related public health problems; and
            (4) an evaluation of alcohol industry sponsored campaigns 
        addressing public service and prevention messages for underage 
        drinking, drunk driving, and other alcohol-related topics.
    (d) Recommendations.--The report of the Federal Trade Commission 
under subsection (a) shall also include such recommendations for 
legislation as the Commission determines are appropriate.
                                 <all>