Advertisers drop enormous sums of money, quite simply, because it works. More toy ads viewed, more toys bought. Usually quite soon. More car ads viewed, more cars bought.

And, of course, more beer ads viewed, more beer drunk.

A recent study by faculty at the Universities of Texas and Florida found that Youth attending schools with 20 percent or more Hispanic students see an average of seven times more alcohol ads each day than students at schools with a smaller Hispanic population.

My guess is that this is probably a function of urban design: highly Hispanic neighborhoods are quite likely going to be mixed-use neighborhoods, where commercial and residential properties are close to each other. Still:

"Alcohol advertising around schools with 20 percent or more Hispanic students used the culture of the community significantly more," said Dr. Kelli Komro, associate professor of epidemiology in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. "Those ads employed visual elements like logos of local sports teams, Spanish words and symbols of Hispanic culture such as Mexico's national colors. This may build brand recognition early on, putting youth at even greater risk for early onset and long-term alcohol use. Previous studies have shown that Hispanic youth are at higher risk for starting to use alcohol at a young age and for high-risk alcohol use."

[photo credit: sxc.hu member wax115]