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New Illinois
legislation prohibits marketing of flavored alcoholic beverages to
minors
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[September 15, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD --
Representatives from Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich’s administration joined
with the legislative sponsors of
Senate Bill 1625 and alcohol
prevention advocates on Friday to announce how the new law will
protect Illinois minors. The governor signed the bill into law
Friday to prevent the advertisement or promotion of flavored
alcoholic beverages, or "alcopops," to children. "Alcopops" are
alcoholic beverages that are blended with fruit juice, lemonade or
other flavorings. Examples include "hard lemonade" and "twisted
tea." The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Carol Ronen,
D-Chicago, and state Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, establishes fines
for companies that promote "alcopops" to minors: $500 for the first
offense and $1,000 for a second offense.
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 "Too often we let the advertising industry decide what our
children see and consume. We need to stand up on behalf of Illinois
children and protect them from advertising that entices minors to
drink alcohol and break the law," Blagojevich said. "This
legislation will protect those too young to deal with the
responsibility and consequences associated with drinking alcohol."
The bill is aimed at reducing the marketing, promotion and
advertising of alcopops to minors. This would include cartoons and
youth-oriented photos; sponsorship of athletic events where the
intended audience is primarily children; billboards advertising
alcopops within 500 feet of a school, public park, amusement park or
place of worship; and the display of any alcopop beverage in video
games, theater productions or other live performances where the
intended audience is primarily children.
Representatives from the Blagojevich administration joined with
the legislative sponsors and alcohol prevention advocates at
Treatment Options for Safe Communities, known as TASC, a nonprofit
organization headquartered in Chicago that works with teens and
adults with alcohol substance abuse and mental health disorders.
Lainie Krozel, director of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission,
presented a copy of the signed bill to Ronen and Harris and thanked
them on behalf of the governor for bringing this important to
legislation to his desk.
"By signing this legislation, the governor has sealed our
commitment to reducing underage drinking. We are responsible for our
children, and we need to fight outside influences pressuring them to
break the law," said Ronen.
"Alcopop advertisers use the lure of youth and popularity to
attract teenagers, especially the females, to their alcoholic
products," said Harris. "We must protect children from the dangers
of underage drinking by putting a stop to ads that make it look
‘cool.’"
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 With one-third of teen girls having tried alcopops
-- and one out
of six in the past six months -- alcopops have become a "gateway
beverage (for) less-experienced drinkers," according to a 2004
American Medical Association poll. Another 2004 study found that
girls ages 12-20 were more exposed to alcopop ads in magazines than
the targeted age group of 21-34-year-old women.
This law follows a 1998 court settlement that prohibited the
tobacco industry from targeting youth in ads and marketing. The
settlement stipulated that cartoon characters such as Joe Camel were
banned from tobacco advertising, promotions, packaging and labeling.
Sale of tobacco brand merchandise, such as apparel and backpacks,
was prohibited, and event sponsorship was restricted.
"We are extremely pleased that Governor Blagojevich has signed
Senate Bill 1625 into law," said Sara Moscato Howe, CEO of the
Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association. "By signing SB
1625, the governor is demonstrating his national leadership in the
fight against underage drinking. As we have seen in recent months in
Illinois, underage drinking leads to the tragedy of teen deaths as a
result of teens drinking and driving,"
Also on Friday, in a continued effort to reduce underage drinking
in Illinois, Blagojevich announced $10 million in grants over five
years to 18 organizations across the state to focus on reducing
risky use of alcohol. This includes but is not limited to underage
and childhood drinking, binge drinking and deaths from
alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes.
Senate Bill 1625 becomes effective June 1, 2008.
[Text from file sent on behalf of
Sen.
Bill Brady by Illinois
Senate Republican staff] |
