1. Tara McGuire, Alcohol Prevention Enhancement Site
Parents Can’t Stop
What They Don’t Know
July
Tara McGuire, Alcohol Prevention Enhancement Site
This high-energy session describes common themes found in pop culture that promote negative drinking attitudes or behaviors– particularly in media consumed by youth.
“Don’t Buy the Lie”

2. Environmental Scans www.kyprevention.com/projects/alcopops/
HOW KY RESPONDED – ENVIRONMENTAL SCANS AT LOCAL RETAILERS (TN law doesn’t permit above)
You can see from the image taken in a KY Gas Station that another problem with these high alcohol content, super-sized single serving beverages is that they are often positioned in the same cooler as non-alcoholic drinks, and directly beside non-alcoholic products like milk and soda. Following this picture, the local Youth in Action Team alerted the owner of this station to the problem, and he positioned the Alcopops away from non-alcoholic beverages and other products youth frequently purchase.

3. Taxing Alcopops as beer means Alcopops….
Cost less than hard liquor
= more _______ to youth
APPEALING
Sold in convenience stores
= more _______to youth
ACCESSIBLE
Image: Kentucky State Police

4. ? In Kentucky, is it….. LEGAL or ILLEGAL to place alcoholic beverages
like Tilt or Joose in the
same cooler as
non-alcoholic beverages
like bug juice or red bull ?
In Kentucky, it is LEGAL to place alcoholic beverages like Tilt or Joose in the same cooler as non-alcoholic beverages like bug juice and red bull.
This photo was taken at a Madison County Convenience Store. After noticing the single-serving beverages of beer mixed in the same open cooler as kid’s bug juice, the local youth coalition returned to the retailer with their adult sponsor later that day to meet with the store manager. Immediately after the youth group alerted the manager to the concern he separated the non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and moved the cooler with the alcoholic beverages to a position in the store in line of sight of the cashier/clerk for better monitoring to decrease the potential for store theft by a minor.

5. Environmental Scan at Claire’s in Atlanta
Fayette County Youth Coalition for Alcohol Education (YCAE)
Key Ring
Environmental Scans are not only conducted at alcohol retailers. It is important for adults to be aware of other merchandise items directed towards youth or sold at retailers targeting primarily youth with alcoholic brand logos or with reference to alcohol consumption particularly excessive consumption/ binge drinking.
The Fayette County Youth Coalition for Alcohol Education conducted an environmental scan at a Claire’s Store in Atlanta while on a field trip for another youth organization, and discovered locker decorations, key rings and bedazzled flask sold within the tween friendly retailer. The youth coalition wrote the Claire’s CEO to voice their concerns these products promoted alcohol to youth underage and drunk driving, however, the CEO wrote back to the youth coalition that the products would not be removed.
Locker Decoration
Bedazzled Flask Store Display

6. Two sandals by Reef are featured on the slide
Two sandals by Reef are featured on the slide. One sandal features a hidden compartment in the heal which holds 3oz of alcohol per shoe. The other type of sandal features a church key bottle open on the bottom of the shoe. Reef sandals are sold at teen and college friendly stores.
In 2008, Menstuff and a non-profit group in Oregon called on Nordstrom to stop selling Reef Flask Sandals. The President for Nordstrom wrote that flip-flop-flasks were “a ridiculous product” and that it would be removed from all Nordstrom stores. “We thank you for bringing it to our attention.”

7. How is alcohol portrayed in our popular culture?
How is drinking is portrayed in our popular culture:
Does it glamorize drinking and make it look like it is the way to have friends, get girls or be good in sports;
Does it minimize (or ignore) consequences – so it gives an unrealistic view of effects?
Can it give an unrealistic view of the prevalence of drinking – make it seem like everyone is doing it?
Does it send a message that the activity is “normal”, expected, “winked at” or otherwise OK?
Make it attractive to kids – normalized to kids?
A coalition in Oregon discovered Macy’s Department Store was selling the pictured “Cutie” t-shirt in their youth section. The coalition wrote to the Macy’s CEO to request the t-shirt be removed from store shelves or at least removed from the youth department because it depicted the Coors beer logo through a product directed at youth. Macy’s has since removed the product from their stores.