More young dying since alcohol age dropped, research finds

Marketing alcohol to young people is leading to more young New Zealanders dying, researchers said today.

Massey University health researcher Tim McCreanor told the Public Health Association's annual conference in Palmerston North the number of alcohol related injuries and deaths among the young had increased since 2000.

"It's no coincidence that this is when the drinking age was lowered to 18," Mr McCreanor said.

"The relentless marketing and promotion of alcohol to young people means that we now have a generation who are pre-disposed to alcohol."

Researcher Hector Kaiwai, also a researcher, said alcohol companies infiltrated youth culture by using masculine stereotypes and popular culture.

They saturated the market with their messages, he said.

"What I found was young men had very high recall of alcohol marketing and advertising. It has a huge influence on their drinking behaviour and their understanding of what it means to be masculine," he said.

Sporting icons such as the All Blacks were used by alcohol companies to promote their brands, Mr Kaiwai said.

"These are important role models for our young men and I think they are sending out bad messages to our kids."

Mr Kaiwai said a colleague who focused on how alcohol companies targeted young women found different products had been feminised.

"Things such as bottles of wine -- they have put lip gloss with little sparkly things on it."

Ready to Drink products were positioned as feminine drinks by the way they were advertised, he said.

"Initially they were probably a market that wasn't really focused on but lately they have definitely become a target for marketers."

- NZPA