Magazines popular with teenagers, such as Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and People, tend to have more liquor and beer ads than other titles, suggesting the alcohol industry may be indirectly targeting underage drinkers. Researchers compared 35 magazines and found that for every 1 million more readers ages 12 to 19, a magazine had about 60 percent more beer and distilled liquor ads.

The Distilled Sprits Council of America, a major trade association, ridiculed the study as ``rife with flagrant technical errors bordering on junk science.'' It said the study's tables show that only 16 percent of the magazines' total readers are ages 12 to 19, so the overwhelming majority of those seeing the ads are adults.

The researchers said major alcoholic beverage trade associations have codes of conduct pledging to avoid marketing to teens. The researchers said that if self-regulation by the industry is not enough, then maybe the government or an independent auditor needs to monitor the situation.

The Beer Institute, a trade association for the malt beverage industry, said more regulation will not reduce underage drinking.

``The strongest influences on young people are their parents and their peers,'' the group said in a statement. ``Providing materials to parents - that the beer industry does in abundance - that allows them to talk about drinking with their kids, is the sort of effective solution that this industry's critics should embrace.''