A new study on the effects of alcohol advertising on individuals aged 15 to 26 found that the more ads young people see, the more they drink. On average, each additional ad increases the number of drinks consumed by one percent.

This is no surprise to anyone with a semblance of common sense, but the alcohol and tobacco industry has long maintained that advertising does not stimulate or increase consumption, it only encourages consumers to switch brands.

There are compelling arguments to lower the drinking age to 18, but this study further confirms why I think it's a bad idea:

"Drinkers younger than 21 years, who consume approximately 20% of all alcoholic drinks, imbibe more heavily than adults per drinking episode and are involved in twice as many fatal car crashes while drinking. The problem is getting worse, with youth initiating drinking at an earlier age on average than they did in the past."

The study is published in the January 2006 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.