The sellers of alcohol should have the right to advertise their product. But they should be considerate of who is most likely going to be seeing their ads and who will be influenced.
Johnson L., Michigan State University senior
They do have a right to advertise since it’s a legal drug. We need to educate people about the lies they are selling.
Allison T., Fordham University junior
Upon your arrival on the college campus, you became a major target of the alcohol advertising industry. Sponsorships and promotions on college campuses by alcohol producers and the use of celebrities and youth-oriented musical groups in advertising create a pro-use drinking environment.69 The alcohol industry is counting on you to fuel their sales. After all, they keep killing off their older customers, so they need new ones. The college campus provides fertile ground for new ones:
The alcohol industry spends $23 million annually for on-campus promotion, principally for beer advertising.70 Beer and alcohol advertisers are the source of one third of all college newspaper revenue.71
U.S. college students will spend $5.5 billion on alcohol.72
The “college scene” is where 5 percent of the American population is estimated to generate 10 percent of all brewers’ revenues.73
This translates into $1 billion in college sales for Anheuser-Busch and $353 million for Miller Brewing.74 It is interesting to note here that approximately 76% of all excessive (five or more drinks in a day) alcohol consumption is beer, and that 49% of beer drinkers drink excessively.
On average, college students spend more money on booze than books. Most college students drink more beer than anything else.75
Often peer pressure is cited as the primary cause of high-risk alcohol consumption on the college campus. But what influences these peers? How are they socialized? The industry’s own advertising relies heavily on peer pressure. The rock stars, celebrities and athletes who frolic in the beer commercials serve as “sample peers” promoting drinking as an integral part of collegiate life. Beer advertising provides an entry-level education for youth about the uses and gratification of the product. Positive images consistently link desirable traits to their product and reinforce the association.76
If you are an average 18- or 19-year-old entering college, you have been viewing nearly one thousand beer, wine and liquor ads in the mass media each year. This advertising promotes the perceived benefits of alcohol consumption. Take a good look at the advertisements for alcohol. Are the images they present consistent with what you view on your campus? Or are there many more negative outcomes than the industry would like to let you know? Is the portrayal of women in these ads consistent with your beliefs? If not, do you realize that by purchasing these products you are perpetuating the myths they present about alcohol consumption and women?
If you are disturbed by the images presented in alcohol advertising, then I have a suggestion. Have you ever noticed that in every magazine you pick up, there’s a bunch of postcards urging you to subscribe to the magazine? Well, send in the card letting the publisher know you would consider subscribing if they would remove the degrading and misleading ads for alcohol. It will cost you nothing if you use their cards. And you will be making an important statement regarding the portrayal of women in advertising, as well as your desire for truth in advertising.
Links to illustrations of how the alcohol industry uses the following themes to sell alcoholic beverages
Take a Kid to a Beer:
Read this report about how the NCAA inadvertently recruits children for the beer industry.
Goal
To raise awareness of the factors that may influence your drinking choices.
Instructions
Circle the answer that best reflects the degree to which the situation influences you to want to have a drink.
1. You were eating an enjoyable meal?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
2. You were watching television?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
3. You were visiting friends, some of whom were drinking?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
4. You had just completed a difficult task that had taken you a long time to finish?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
5. You were tense and anxious?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
6. You just had a big argument with someone in your family?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
7. You were relaxing after a busy day?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
8. You hadn’t had a drink in awhile and someone offered you one?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
9. You were waiting for a very important phone call that was 15 minutes late?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
10. You were at a party and someone offered you a drink?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
11. You were at a sporting or entertainment event?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
12. You felt as if you really needed a drink?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
13. You were with a friend who urged you to drink?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
14. You were meeting a few friends in a bar?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
15. You were alone and feeling depressed?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
16. You were celebrating a special occasion?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
17. You were doing paperwork such as studying, paying bills, or writing a letter?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
18. You wanted to feel more sophisticated and attractive?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
19. You were bored?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
20. Could you refrain from drinking regardless of the circumstances?
__Definitely Yes___Probably Yes___Maybe___Probably No___Definitely No
Scoring for this exercise can be found in the Challenge Results section at the end of the book.
Reflections
a. What factors influence your drinking choices?
b. For each of the statements you answered Yes to, are there other ways to deal with the situation rather than drinking alcohol?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Adapted from Making Choices: A Personal Look at Alcohol & Drug Use (1992). McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Quinn/Scaffa.
