The National Park Service has waived its policy prohibiting partnerships with alcohol makers, allowing the National Park Foundation to forge a two-year, $2.5 million deal with the world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Re: “National parks ink $2.5M marketing pact with Anheuser-Busch,” May 2 business news story.
Itap troubling to learn that the U.S. National Park Service has reversed its policy on partnerships with the alcohol industry.
Budweiser cans and bottles wrapped in images of the Statue of Liberty and sponsored concerts are now among the “sites” visitors will experience. At the same time, the National Park Foundation is trying, through a collaboration with Disney, to increase the number of young children who visit the parks.
At least 14 long-term studies have shown that exposure to alcohol marketing increases the chances that underage youth will begin drinking — and drink more if they already do — which research has shown further increases the risk of car crashes, violence, STDs and unintended pregnancy.
Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among youth in the U.S. and is responsible for the deaths of approximately 4,300 underage persons each year. My own research shows a disproportionate number of underage drinkers choose Bud Light when they binge drink.
Exposure to alcohol advertising and marketing at the parks represents a serious departure from the Park Service’s long history of commitment to the health and safety of young people.
David Jernigan, Baltimore
The writer is an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
This letter was published in the May 10 edition.
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