Research from the Alcohol Prevention Foundation, STAP, reveals that alcohol producers expose more than one million underage youth to their brands via sports sponsorships.
One in four major sporting events in the Netherlands is sponsored by the alcohol industry. Brewers dominate: among 107 such events, 105 involved brewers.
These events drew over 4.5 million visitors in 2008, including at least 1 million minors. Youth frequently exposed to alcohol ads start drinking earlier and consume more than peers with less exposure.
Sports sponsorship bans for alcohol aren't unprecedented in Europe—France already enforces one. In the Netherlands, alcohol ads are banned before 9 p.m. since January 1, 2009. A sponsorship prohibition may follow.
