Alcohol Advertising Directly Affecting Your Children

A recent study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, reveals that alcohol advertising directly influences young adults to drink for the first time or to continue drinking; therefore, making them more susceptible to abuse alcohol in later years. According to the study, “alcohol is the most common drug among youth and a major contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Billions of dollars are spent annually, marketing alcohol.”

James D. Sargent, MD, author and professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, stated that, “it’s very strong evidence that underage drinkers are not only exposed to the television advertising, but they also assimilate the messages. That process moves them forward in their drinking behavior.”

The study revealed that 26% of young adults between the ages of 21 and 23 have seen an alcohol advertisement, while 23% of 15-17 year olds said that they had seen the same one. Consequently, the transition to binge and hazardous drinking occurred for 29% and 18% of youth 15-17 years of age. The concluded findings revealed that alcohol advertising seen on television, resulted in an excessive amount of drinking.

Sargent continued to lament that “alcohol is responsible for deaths of people during adolescence and during young adulthood. It seems to me that the industry should be at least as restrictive as the tobacco industry.”

It is evident that marketing in the spirits industry has failed to monitor their advertising and prevent it from reaching vast numbers of young people; therefore, affecting their drinking patterns.

However, Lisa Hawkins, vice president of Public affairs at the Distilled Spirits Council, argues that, “the spirits industry is committed to responsible advertising, directed to adults and adheres to a rigorous advertising and marketing code.”