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01-13-2003, 04:15 PM
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCom....3d.html (http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCommentary.asp?P age=\Commentary\arch ive\200301\COM200301 13d.html)
ATF Needs A Hard Stand On Soft Liquor
By Kerri Houston
CNSNews.com Commentary
January 13, 2003
As the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) winds up its study of the newest craze in alcohol consumption - Flavored Malt Beverages, or "aclopop" - the rest of the world is taking a hard look at the impact these drinks have on teenage drinkers, particularly girls.
These products are a popular new category of hybrid alcoholic beverages with names such as Bacardi Silver, Jack Daniels Hard Cola, Smirnoff Ice and Mike's Hard Lemonade. Although alcopop meets technical beer standards, it contains hard liquor, and its marketing and brand names muddy the distinction between the two.
After infusing the beverage with federally mandated minimum quantities of malt and hops for beer designation, the color and beer taste are removed and flavorings added that often contain high levels of distilled alcohol.
Because BATF has so far put alcopop in the beer category, it has slipped by the national networks' standard of not running hard liquor advertising. Ads for alcopop are shown at sporting events and during TV shows such as Friends , which attract a young audience. Fortunately, BATF has been reviewing the marketing and promotion of alcopop in an effort to determine whether it should play under hard liquor rules.
ATF Needs A Hard Stand On Soft Liquor
By Kerri Houston
CNSNews.com Commentary
January 13, 2003
As the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) winds up its study of the newest craze in alcohol consumption - Flavored Malt Beverages, or "aclopop" - the rest of the world is taking a hard look at the impact these drinks have on teenage drinkers, particularly girls.
These products are a popular new category of hybrid alcoholic beverages with names such as Bacardi Silver, Jack Daniels Hard Cola, Smirnoff Ice and Mike's Hard Lemonade. Although alcopop meets technical beer standards, it contains hard liquor, and its marketing and brand names muddy the distinction between the two.
After infusing the beverage with federally mandated minimum quantities of malt and hops for beer designation, the color and beer taste are removed and flavorings added that often contain high levels of distilled alcohol.
Because BATF has so far put alcopop in the beer category, it has slipped by the national networks' standard of not running hard liquor advertising. Ads for alcopop are shown at sporting events and during TV shows such as Friends , which attract a young audience. Fortunately, BATF has been reviewing the marketing and promotion of alcopop in an effort to determine whether it should play under hard liquor rules.