Alcohol Apps Aimed at Young

Professor Lynne Eagle led a team studying free apps involving alcohol use and found nearly 80 percent promote heavy drinking.

Professor Eagle, whose research specialties include marketing communication effectiveness and the impact of persuasive communication on children, said there are no age restrictions on any of the apps and mny are clearly aimed at young people and likely to work well. Apps like 'Drink Thin'—which promotes an alcohol-only diet—and 'Drunk College Sorority Girls & Frat Boy Party Edition' blatantly encourage unhealthy, unsafe or violent behavior in concert with drinking.

"Presenting smoking and drinking in an entertainment context encourages young people to start smoking and drinking. There is plenty of material showing that what they are doing is effective."

The paper estimated some $100 million of alcohol tax revenue in 2010 came from underage drinkers.
Professor Eagle said self-regulation was failing and the Government had to step in and insist on effective measures.

"If the industry can't effectively regulate itself then it allows the cowboys to develop and use these apps. You don't want to have to wait for a generation of teens to start showing signs of problem drinking before you act."