Study: Music links alcohol, degrading sex

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PITTSBURGH, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A U.S. adolescent who listens to 2.5 hours of popular music per day is heavily exposed to alcohol brands associated to degrading sex, researchers say.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh said branded alcohol references are most common in rap, R&B and hip hop songs.

The researchers analyzed 793 of the most popular songs in the youth market from 2005 to 2007 and found about 25 percent of the songs that mention alcohol also mention a brand name, for about 3.4 alcohol brand appearances per song-hour.

The study, published in the journal Addiction, found the consequences that the songs associated with alcohol were more often positive than negative -- 41.5 percent vs. 17.1 percent. Alcohol brand appearances were commonly associated with wealth 63.4 percent of the time, sex 58.5 percent of the time, luxury objects 51.2 percent of the time, partying 48.8 percent of the time, other drugs 43.9 percent of the time and vehicles 39 percent of the time, the study said.

The study said most instances of brand-name references in song lyrics seem to be unsolicited and unpaid for by advertising companies.

The study investigators noted frequent exposure of young people to brand-name references in popular music may constitute a form of advertising and could contribute to the early initiation and maintenance of substance use among adolescents.