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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 8, 2004 Since you asked Teens can buy such beverages In Oregon, can teenagers buy nonalcoholic beer like O’Doul’s? — Patrick C., via e-mail There are a couple of answers to your question, Patrick, but the best way to summarize them is to say: It depends. Technically, it’s legal for teenagers and others under age 21 to buy beer products that contain less than .5 percent alcohol per volume. That’s according to Janet Bailey, an inspector in the Medford office of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. O’Doul’s, a brewed beer product produced by Anheuser-Busch, contains less than .5 percent alcohol, according to a Web site for the St. Louis-based company. The site says that the O’Doul’s captures 40 percent of the low- alcohol beer market, so it’s a good model to use. However, Bailey notes that not all low-alcohol beers are alike. Some may contain alcohol levels higher than .5 percent, in which case they’d be off-limits to minors. And, she adds, the issue raises larger questions about teen drinking. Some restaurants won’t sell even low-alcohol drinks to kids because they don’t want to be seen as promoting underage drinking. Allowing teens to buy or drink beer-like beverages might encourage them to develop a taste for alcoholic products, Bailey says. Given the marketing power of the alcohol industry, it’s unlikely young people need more encouragement to drink before they’re legal. "That’s the problem," Bailey adds. "That’s why they stopped making candy cigarettes." Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times