Beer marketers aggressively targeting the Hispanic market are coming under fire from health activists who say the brewers are unfairly targeting a minority group and promoting alcohol abuse among
teens. Part of the criticism stems from an abundance of billboards in San Diego that promote beer in Spanish, raising concerns that they specifically target young people. "Latino youth are drinking
more than black or white youth, with all the concurrent negative health and social consequences," says Katherine Culliton, an official of the National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention,
in Washington. "We believe this is a result of beer companies aggressively targeting Latino youth." Hispanics are the fastest-growing and youngest population in the U.S., and brewers acknowledge
targeting this group, but deny any wrongdoing. "We would disagree with anyone who suggests beer billboards increase abuse among Latino or other minority communities," says Marlene Coulis, vice
president for brand management at Anheuser-Busch. "It would be poor business for us in today's world to ignore what is the fastest-growing segment of our population." Beer marketers are struggling
with an aging general population, slow sales and the growing appeal of wine.
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