Alcohol Industry Facts
Ever since the 21st Amendment reversed the nation's ban on alcohol as set forth by the 18th amendment, the alcohol industry has been a mainstay of American society and the American economy. In order to ward off complaints of its negative societal impact, the alcohol industry has had measures in place for decades to self-police, seeking to promote legal and responsible consumption of its products.
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Industry Standards
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The definition of a "drink" used throughout the alcohol industry is 1.5 ounces of 80 proof liquor (40 percent alcohol), 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of regular beer. These standards are also held by DISCUS, the trade association for the alcohol industry.
Alcohol Market Share
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Despite larger serving sizes, over the past decade the market shares of beer and wine have decreased, while the share of distilled spirits or hard liquor has risen significantly. Between 1995 and 2006, the market share of both beer and wine decreased by 5 percent (from 60 to 55 percent for beer and from 12 to 7 percent for wine), while distilled spirits made up the difference, increasing by 10 percent.
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Economic Impact of the Alcohol Industry
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Income earned by the alcohol industry is quite substantial, as a result leading to sizable contributions to the workforce and local economies. For example, in 2006 $84 billion in wages were spread among 3.8 million employees within the industry. In the same year, revenue from alcohol sales comprised $18 billion worth of the budgets of state and local governments.
DISCUS
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The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) represents companies that produce and market alcoholic beverages. Members of the organization are expected to adopt a Code of Responsible Practices regarding the marketing of alcoholic beverages. Primary goals of this code include eliminating advertising that might be directed toward people under drinking age and promoting responsible drinking by legal-aged adults.
Code of Responsible Practices Outline
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The Code of Responsible Practices begins with an overview of the organization's goals and ideals as well as a section discussing the scope of the policies set down within it. The bulk of the code is divided into two categories: responsible placement and responsible content. Provisions related to responsible placement include limiting advertising to media markets where at least 70 percent of the audience is over the drinking age, severely restricting advertising on college campuses and keeping advertising at least 500 feet away from schools and places of worship.
The responsible content section of the code is subdivided into several segments. The first deals with adult-oriented advertising (e.g. no depictions of Santa Claus, no associations with alcohol as a "rite of passage" and actors and models who appear mature). Other provisions in the responsible content section involve social responsibility (i.e. ensuring that alcohol is not associated with dangerous or illegal behavior), good taste (i.e. not using content degrading to a particular group or unacceptable by general social standards) and alcohol content (i.e. reporting the alcohol content of a beverage only in a straightforward manner). The final portion of the code sets forth procedures for internal compliance and explains the code review board process.
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