A new study by researchers at Georgetown University concludes that young girls are drinking more than boys because an increasing number of alcohol ads are reaching teenage girls.

The researchers analyzed alcohol advertisements placed in 103 national magazines in 2001 and 2002. They then compared the estimated number of readers provided by the magazines in different age categories with the population as a whole in the same age groups.

Georgetown Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth director Dr. David Jernigan, who led the study, said the research found that even though women aged 21 to 34 were the stated target of alcohol marketing, a larger percentage of girls ages 12 to 20 were exposed to the alcohol ads than women over 21.

In particular, the researchers found young girls were increasingly exposed to advertising for low-alcohol products, such as wine coolers and alcoholic iced teas. Teenage girls’ exposure to such ads increased 216 percent, compared to 46 percent for boys.

The study is published in the July 2004 issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.