Alcopops: Quick Facts
Alcohol + Sugary Fruit Juices + Flavoring +
Bright Colors = ALCOPOPS
Also known as ready-to-drinks (RTDs), flavored
malt beverages (FMB’s) or Malternatives
These beverages resemble colorful, sweet drinks
such as fruit punch, lemonade, and sodas.
Alcopops average 230 calories each, more than
1 Krispy Kreme donut or 1 Twinkie.
Alcopops are made from distilled spirits and
contain about the same amount of alcohol as
beer (roughly 5% to 7%).1
The Formula
Alcopops apparently start out as beer then manufacturers
remove the color, taste and much of the alcohol from the
beer, leaving mostly water. They then add flavorings,
sweeteners and distilled alcohol for the finished product.2
Some popular brands
Smirnoff Ice, Skyy Blue, Bacardi Silver, Jack Daniel’s
Original Hard Cola, Captain Morgan Gold & Mike’s
Hard Lemonade.
The Consumer
Underage girls drink alcopops more than any other type
of alcoholic beverage. Young people call alcopops
“cheerleader beer” or “chick beer”.3 A majority of teens
17-18 (51%) along with many teens 14-16 (35%) have
tried alcopops, compared to only 24% of adults.4
Because they don’t taste, smell or look like alcohol, alcopops serve as a transition or
bridge from soft drinks to alcohol, especially for young girls.5
Availability and Appeal
Alcopops are classified as a malt beverage (beer or wine), which means they are taxed at the lower rate than
distilled spirits. In Texas, beer is taxed at 19 cents per gallon, while distilled spirits are taxed at $2.40 per
gallon. Because companies enjoy such low taxes, they can keep product prices down and more appealing to
youth who are price sensitive. Alcopops can also be sold through a wider range of outlets, such as
convenience stores, grocery stores and other retail stores that also sell beer.
While liquor is not advertised on network TV, alcopops are because of their malt beverage classification
even though they trumpet liquor brands. Exposure of underage youth to alcohol advertising in magazines
declined between 2001 and 2002 in every category except alcopops for which exposure to girls grew by a
staggering 216%!6
1
Flavored Malt Beverage and Related Regulatory Amendments, Federal Register Jan. 2005
Marin Institute, www.marininstitute.org, Alcopop Materials, Alcopop Q&A
Ibid
4
Center for the Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) “Alcopops: Summary of Findings. What Teens & Adults Are Saying About Alcopops,” May 2001.
www.cspinet.org/booze/alcopops_summary.htm
5
Marin Institute, www.marininstitute.org, Alcopop Materials, Alcopop Q&A
7
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). “Alcopops: Summary of Findings. What teens and adults are saying about Alcopops.”
2
3
Alcoholic Energy Drinks
Alcohol + Caffeine + Other Stimulants + Youth =
A Dangerous Mix
These prepackaged, premixed beverages contain alcohol, caffeine and other stimulants and
provide a cheap alternative to purchasing the two types of beverages separately.
Alcohol Energy drink producers have built on
the popularity of non-alcoholic energy
drinks. Nonalcoholic energy drinks are very
popular among youth. 31% of youth
12-17 years of age, and 34% of youth 18-24 years
of age report regular use of energy drinks,
compared to 22% for those 25-34 years old.7
Brand Confusion with non-alcoholic versions:
Alcohol producers promote the close association of
their products with energy drinks by mimicking
their containers, including size, shape, and graphics.
Marketing messages for alcoholic energy drinks
frequently mirror those used by nonalcoholic
cousins: risk taking and rebellion, more energy,
partying all night, and more sexual success. The
messages are communicated primarily through the
same channels used by energy drink marketers:
Internet sites, chat rooms, sporting event
sponsorships and consumer-to-consumer
communication on sites such as MySpace.8
Price Appeal: Generally the premixed alcoholic
energy drinks are cheaper than the nonalcoholic
energy drinks. A recent check of Austin area
convenience stores found that the premixed
alcoholic energy drinks were 30-40 cents cheaper
than the nonalcoholic energy drinks.
Price Comparison:
Rockstar Juice (nonalcoholic)
Spark Single (alcoholic)
$2.31
$1.999
Most alcoholic energy drinks are classified as malt
beverages even though their alcohol by volume is
significantly greater than that of beer.
This makes them cheaper than distilled spirits and
more readily available to youth in more outlets like
convenience stores.
7
8
Health concerns: As energy drinks are stimulants
and alcohol is a depressant, the combination of
effects may be dangerous. The stimulant effects can
mask how intoxicated you are and prevent you from
realizing how much alcohol you have consumed.
Fatigue is one of the ways the body normally tells
someone that they've had enough to drink.
Both energy drinks and alcohol are very
dehydrating (the caffeine in energy drinks is a
diuretic). Dehydration can hinder the body’s ability
to metabolize alcohol and will increase the toxicity
and potential for alcohol poisoning.10
Only the non-alcoholic brands have nutrition facts
and ingredients listed. The additives and stimulants
contained in the alcoholic drinks are not disclosed.
Taking Action: In August of 2007, 29 Attorney
Generals took a powerful stand against alcoholic
energy drinks. In their letter to the Alcohol and
Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the AGs
expressed grave concern about how the products are
targeting youth and called upon the agency to
enforce federal law that says companies cannot
market these beverages as “energy-enhancing”.
The TTB issued a statement in May 2005 saying
they will take appropriate enforcement action when
they determine that there have been violations of
the advertising provisions. Yet, marketers continue
to use messages that fail to alert users to the
potential for misjudging one’s intoxication and,
instead, clearly suggest that the beverages will
enhance alertness and energy.11
www.TexansStandingTall.org
Simmons Teen Survey Data, Energy Drinks in the U.S. Dec. 2007
Mosher, J. and M. Simon. “Alcohol, Energy Drinks, and Youth: A Dangerous
Mix.” Marin Institute, 2007.
9
Jan. 2008, Random survey of Austin, Texas area convenience stores
10
Mosher, J. and M. Simon. “Alcohol, Energy Drinks, and Youth: A Dangerous
Mix.” Marin Institute, 2007.
11
Ibid