Jan 31, 2008 6:05 AM, PROMO Xtra

Alcohol industry watchdog Marin Institute is bashing the presence of beer ads in the Super Bowl.

The organization is calling for the National Football League and Anheuser-Busch to drop ads from the Big Game telecast because so many young viewers watch it.

“Kids tuning in to see a great football game are saturated with funny commercials glorifying beer drinking. What the NFL claims is wholesome family-friendly entertainment is actually helping to fuel an epidemic of underage alcohol abuse across the U.S.,” said Bruce Livingston, executive director of Marin Institute, in a statement.

Marin cited a survey by the Center for Science in the Public Interest indicating the 72% of Americans feel that showing beer ads during sporting events controverts the positive role of sports for children.

The group noted that Super Bowl beer ads reached approximately 16.7 million viewers under the age of 21 last year, and the posting of these ads online in recent years on sites such as YouTube extended their reach.

The NFL did not respond to a request for a comment on Marin’s call to excise beer ads from the Big Game broadcast.

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