Flavored alcoholic beverages -- dubbed alcopops -- contribute to underage drinking and should carry warning labels, say many American adults who took part in a new national survey.
"Alcopops are sweet drinks made to taste like cola or soda pop or punch or lemonade. Typically, alcopops have between 5 and 8 percent alcohol content, which is a little bit more than most beers, and they're marketed to look like familiar drinks to kids," Dr. Matthew Davis, director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, said in a news release.
The survey of 2,100 adults, ages 21 and older, found that 52 percent believe alcopops definitely or probably encourage underage drinking, and that 92 percent strongly support the use of warning labels on alcopops. Most of the respondents also favor greater restrictions on alcopop advertising that focuses on youth.
"We also found in this poll that about 75 percent of adults in the United States are concerned underage drinking is a problem," Davis said.
