Advertisement of Alcohol

[R3v1v4L]

Hi all.

There are worsening problems to do with drinking around the world with the teens...binge drinking. And apparently a new trend is spreading amongst the youth in USA and England especially, where they skip meals and binge drink. They've dupped it "drunkorexia".

Part of fixing these problems lies in the advertisement of these drinks. Remember smoking? It went through the same phase. I think that the youth, and all people, would benefit from no advertising of alcoholic drinks, to begin to help the problem. It is not good enough to have a sign saying 'drink repsonsibly' in small print in an area which no body looks at in ads and on the bottles. We need some serious action now!

You're input please.

[dk]

Banning advertising of alcohol? But I like seeing scantily clad women drinking beer.

Sorry for the attempt at humor, but no, I'm against an outright banning of alcohol advertisements. I think that's a little over the top and it's attacking a symptom, not the actual problem. Maybe symptom isn't the appropriate word...

[Tony Stacks]

Well I say alcohol and tobacco companies should have the absolute right to advertise just as any other business.

What ever happened to personal responsibility.

I guess it's just easier to play the blame game, makes me sick.

[Jrocka83]

Well I say alcohol and tobacco companies should have the absolute right to advertise just as any other business.

What ever happened to personal responsibility.

I guess it's just easier to play the blame game, makes me sick.

Right on, I'm with Tony on this one..

[silviasichigo]

Well as far as adverts go who cares UN/Fortunately it is deep seated in our minds already that with or with out adverts we are going to drink, drink a lot, drink more, and binge drink....it will eventually pass as time goes you do have thoes few weak minded people who beleive that alcoholism is a genetic trait passed down and they can't help it...(I come from a family of alcoholics) I drink ince a week on izakaya night with a friend of mine..it does not control my life..........

[P_chan]

I'm with tony on this one. It's all about personal responsibility! If an individual can't control themselves, why should others suffer? Of course I'm sure that individual is quick to lay the blame for their own actions on someone or something else (alcohol companies in this case).

[okisteve]

And who is it exactly who would suffer if the advertising were banned?

There is a partial ban in the US, you recall, and it hasn't hurt the liquor companies profits.

[P_chan]

The only people who would suffer would be the alcohol companies. My comment was more of a general comment and is to be applied to any situation where the general public has to suffer due to the actions of a few.

[okisteve]

Revival - it is most annoying to see a newcomer here just drop in questions and provocative remarks, but not answer any questions that people put to him/her. I'm talking about you.:thumbdown:

The advertising bans for tobacco and alcohol are largely intended to stop making those substances look so attractive to kids. Of course they will find them on their own, but it's like playing with matches around paint thinner to show some cool dudes and girls smoking and drinking in an ad.

In many countries it has been effective too, so I think it should be continued. Maybe Tony and others feel that impinges on your freedom to look at the ads.:crying: I say :thumbdown:

[Isaak Brodsky]

Advertising is really power stuff.

It can really change our perception of what’s acceptable and positive and what isn’t.

Public service announcements that encourage young adults to “just say no” to drugs really put a dent in drug abuse. The opposite has shown to hold true. Taking advertisements for social medications like tobacco and alcohol out of the pubic media have helped reduce abuses.

It’s not necessary for these things to be advertised anyway. People will pick them up naturally. The argument is is that advertising increases the rate that people will pick up these products.

I'd agree.

[DougP]

So I guess we should ban anything which makes a substances that can be abused appear attractive. Need to get rid of anything in the media that tickles the senses causing those lacking in self control to over indulge. Not exactly the right move in my mind. As DK mentioned it only attacks the symptoms. Immaturity and irresponsibility are the real cause of binge drinking.

We might as well ban fast food commercials because they apparently cause people to become obese. How about banning hip hop and rap because they sometime portray violent acts and womanizing in a cool, hip way? Or ban all R rated movies because they may have a murder scene in it which could cause someone to go out and commit homicide.

Or how about allowing for some personal responsibility? Going after the advertisements is ignoring the real problem. Look we have some stupid people out there. And if someone is stupid enough to destroy their life because an advertisement told them to do it, then maybe there really is no saving that person.

How far into the extreme realm of censorship are you willing to go to protect people from themselves?

[okisteve]

You might look at it another way. If you really believe in personal responsibility, you should be objecting to the kind of manipulative advertising campaigns that we see today. Why can't people just go to the store and buy what they want, without being subjected to the influence of advertising? You call it stupidity, but it is really weakness to the well-perfected kind of mind control that the ad agencies purvey. Also, the cost of advertising just adds to the price of your Big Mac or Coors.

[DougP]

I can resist anything except temptation.:D

The wonderful thing about free will is that we have the right to make the wrong choices as well as the right ones. Allowing someone or some agency to remove temptations only accomplishes one thing, the removal of that free will.

Another thing to consider here. When was the last time anyone saw an advertisement for marijuana, cocaine, heroine, crack or meth? Seeing how there are no real advertisement campaigns out for those products how do we stem the pandemic use of them?

[okisteve]

I can resist anything except temptation.:D

The wonderful thing about free will is that we have the right to make the wrong choices as well as the right ones. Allowing someone or some agency to remove temptations only accomplishes one thing, the removal of that free will.

Another thing to consider here. When was the last time anyone saw an advertisement for marijuana, cocaine, heroine, crack or meth? Seeing how there are no real advertisement campaigns out for those products how do we stem the pandemic use of them?

Now that's ridiculous and I think you know it Doug.

The really wonderful thing about free will is that it lets people believe that they actually have it. Even Thoreau had to teach school and make pencils to survive.

[DougP]

What's ridiculous, free will?

What's really ridiculous imo is that advertisements are the root of everyone's problems and that we have to get rid of them. We have to rid the world of temptation. That's ridiculous. Another thing that's ridiculous is the thought that beer advertisements are causing people to binge drink. I've seen quite a few beer commercials through out the years and cannot remember for the life of me the last time anyone drank more than a few sips of beer during one of them. Maybe there was one or two where the guy finished the whole glass.

Seriously though, steve, how much censorship do you feel we need out there to save everyone for themselves? Do you think it would be possible to allow others to make up their own minds and choices? See how responsible they can be even with all the temptation running around.

[Isaak Brodsky]

... Immaturity and irresponsibility are the real cause of binge drinking. ...

Nobody is disputing this fact. What's questionable is the unethical enabling that goes on in advertising.

Think about what happens on the inter-personal level. Let's suppose your friend is struggling with heroin addiction but you have developed a resistance to it. You shoot up in front of him, talk about the joys of smack, and he is compulsion to join you is only heightened.

The same thing happens in public media. Advertisers study the psychology of persuasion and play on our innate desires as humans to fit in, to be a part of the crowd.

Pretty much everyone agrees nowadays that tobacco and alcohol can cause serious problems in personal and public health. Banning the advertising of these products in particular will shift responsibility for injury away from the companies that produce and advertise and force people to take more personal responsibility.

Fast food, for now, does not yet fall into the category of tobacco and alcohol, but maybe in time it will. Maybe since fastfood is merely mildly toxic and not an intoxicant it is still seen as fairly harmless.

But, since the film Supersize Me, I wonder when the public's perceptions will change.

[okisteve]

Doug - Seriously, I do think it is important to prevent the targeting of kids and teens. The booze and weed companies are predators in that respect because they know their markets will drop if they don't hook a new generation as users.

You make the point that there are some stupid people out there who will always succumb to excesses. I make the point that most kids do not have adult capabilities for making good decisions and need to be protected.

[Isaak Brodsky]

... What's really ridiculous imo is that advertisements are the root of everyone's problems and that we have to get rid of them. ...

I don't think anyone's saying that all advertisements are the root of all problems.

[okisteve]

And what does our Muslim friend have to add to all of this? Smoking and tobacco advertising are condoned in most Muslim countries.

[DougP]

Ian - I'll admit I've always seen the fast food, alcohol, and tobacco advertisements as being fairly harmless. Never felt compelled to go out and buy their product afterwards. Maybe once or twice I was riding the fence already between Burger King and McDonald's and an advertisement helped nudge me into a choice. But I've hardly seen them as something so dangerous that they need to be removed from the television.

Steve - I agree advertisements should not target an audience that is below the legal age of consumption for their product. Then again I don't feel as though kids should be watching television without adult supervision. I don't think its the television or the content that is on it that should be censored as much as access to the tube that should really be restricted.

[okisteve]

I don't know if they still do it, but when the fast foods were competing to promote their healthier meals (salads, fish, etc.) that could have helped to raise awareness of some of those fat/supersize issues. So that's a good thing. And maybe - maybe, some of the beer commercials have a positive effect when they urge people to drink responsibly. But, as someone said recently, you still see people stripping out the lettuce and tomatoes from the double whoppers.

Restrict kids access to TV....? Well, I agree but it's difficult to say the least.

My point is that many, many kids get no guidance from their parents. I read people here saying that it's the parents' fault, but what is society going to do about it, put the parents in jail for not teaching the kids not to slug Colt 45s after school? Someone has to step up to the plate. The Ad Council SAYS they are all about promoting social responsibility, so why discourage them?

[DougP]

I am actually put off by the thought of the government stepping in and raising our children or taking over the responsibility of the parents. To me the government works for us and not the other way around. We are the ones who are supposed to teach our children and guide them. Not The Add Council, not CBS, NBC, the FCC or the government in general. Getting rid of the temptation or the advertisements is never really a step in the right direction. It may look good in theory and may work for some but it doesn't correct the problem. The real issue is getting others to deal with temptation and how to make the right choices despite all the advertisements out there.

True that may seem like the more difficult way of doing things but it would be far more rewarding than simply taking a few beer commercials off the air. There are multiple portals into media these days and it is fair to say that TV doesn't have the stronghold over the young mind like it once did. There is an ever increasing network of children and young adults out there that broadcast
the latest and greatest trends. Come to think about it, I hit my first beer bong long before I ever saw it on film.

By cutting the advertisements you're only going to divert the flow of the river known as temptation. Commercials and advertisements of this nature are more of a reflection of our dark desires and impulses than a catalyst. By focusing our attention to them we are overlooking the real common denominator here, people.

[okisteve]

I am actually put off by the thought of the government stepping in and raising our children or taking over the responsibility of the parents. To me the government works for us and not the other way around. We are the ones who are supposed to teach our children and guide them. Not The Add Council, not CBS, NBC, the FCC or the government in general. Getting rid of the temptation or the advertisements is never really a step in the right direction. It may look good in theory and may work for some but it doesn't correct the problem. The real issue is getting others to deal with temptation and how to make the right choices despite all the advertisements out there.

And you've raised how many kids without the government's help Doug?


By cutting the advertisements you're only going to divert the flow of the river known as temptation. Commercials and advertisements of this nature are more of a reflection of our dark desires and impulses than a catalyst. By focusing our attention to them we are overlooking the real common denominator here, people.

It sounds like you have no problem with advertisements being a reflection of our dark desires and impulses. Scares the piss out of me though. I wonder how they got that way?

[Isaak Brodsky]

... The real issue is getting others to deal with temptation and how to make the right choices despite all the advertisements out there. ...

Humans are creatures of habit. The issue is what to do with enablers in society. If you prefer the other term, "pushers," then maybe that works.

Restricting pushers from playgrounds is analogous to restricting pushers from the public airwaves.

Advertisements inculcate the public to consume what they otherwise might not. The insidious thing at work here is that they create a perceived need where there was none before. Tons of research on the effects of advertising on behavior.

Check out this BBC series when you have a chance. Four parts on Google video. It's bad ass.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8953172273825999151&q=The+Century+of+the+Self%3A+Happiness+Machines&total=67&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

[DougP]

So because the government, who is supposed to work for us(not control us), helps in providing schools for children we should then allow them to dictate what we can and cannot watch? So we should give them the responsibility of actually teaching our kids right and wrong? Are you really ok with this Steve? That scares me as well.

My intent when using the word dark was for it to come across as being fecicious. I do not think that drinking beer or having a Big Mac is a dark desire. Do you? If not then you got wrapped up in that sentence alone and missed what it was referring to. Obviously what is on TV reflects things that we may want. That's why its on TV and successfully so in the first place. Advertising has been around a lot longer than TV or radio. And yes it is usually to sell a product. That's free enterprise and I am all for it. Aside from holding a gun to my head and forcing me to shell out money for something, they are not making me buy anything. I am making that decision and that decision should be an informed one.

But once again, no I do not feel as though it is the governments role nor the TV's to raise children. Why should it be?

Edit to add: Obviously they are not holding a gun to my head... Just making a point.

[DougP]

Here's another thing. Should government step in and regulate our conversations with each other. When a group of people are at a bar and are trying to persuade someone into taking a birthday shot of Jose with the group. Should they all be banned from the establishment or one another for making a suggestion because the birthday-boy/girl cannot handle peer pressure?

[okisteve]

Check out this BBC series when you have a chance. Four parts on Google video. It's bad ass.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8953172273825999151&q=The+Century+of+the+Self%3A+Happiness+Machines&total=67&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Watching it now - some great shit...

Later for Doug.

[Isaak Brodsky]

But once again, no I do not feel as though it is the governments role nor the TV's to raise children. Why should it be? ...

I couldn't agree you with more on this.

[jimbob17755]

Hic-up,hic-up!