NCJ Number
160646
Date Published
1994
Length
6 pages
Annotation
In targeting youth and alcoholics, alcohol advertisers aim to increase the alcohol consumption of these two groups; alcohol advertisements must be banned if alcoholism and alcohol abuse are to decrease.
Abstract
The most basic analysis of alcohol advertising shows an emphasis on both recruiting new, young users and pushing heavy consumption of their products. Advertising that encouraged only moderate drinking would be an economic failure; this becomes clear when statistics show that only 10 percent of the drinking- age population consumes over half of all alcoholic beverages sold. These figures make it clear that if alcoholics were to stop drinking, the alcoholic beverage industry's gross revenue would be cut in half. A major comprehensive effort is needed to prevent alcohol-related problems. Such an effort must include education, mass media campaigns, increased availability of treatment programs, and more effective deterrence policies. It must also include public policy changes that take into account that the individual acts within a social, economic, and cultural environment that profoundly influences choices. Such changes would include raising taxes on alcohol, putting clearly legible warning labels on the bottles, and regulating the advertising. Policymakers should consider further restricting or banning all alcohol advertising, as some other countries have done. Short of this, the public should be made more aware of the real messages in the ads and work to teach their implications and consequences for those vulnerable to alcohol abuse.