Teen girls drinking more 'alcopops'

CHICAGO, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The American Medical Association says that rising consumption of sweet malt-flavored drinks appears to be driving an increase in drinking by teenage girls.

The AMA released two studies Friday that show girls are more likely to consume the sweet drinks known as "alcopops" than boys. J. Edward Hill, the group's president-elect, suggested that makers of hard liquor are deliberately targeting teens with advertising campaigns because alcopops are gateway drinks that attract those with less experience.

"We're alarmed and concerned with these findings," Hill said. "The percentage of girls who drink is on the rise faster than boys, and the average age of their first drink is now 13."

The studies also showed a link between alcopop use and risky behavior, with one out of six girls who have drunk them in the past six months reporting having sex afterwards and one out of five saying they had driven while drunk or with a drunken driver.

The AMA studies also showed teenagers were more likely to have seen magazine ads for alcopops than women in the 21-34 age group -- the supposed target audience.