Alcohol Commercials and Teens

Essay # 61525

Advertising > Industry-Specific
Child, Youth Issues
Child, Youth Issues > Teen, Adult Issues

Shows that TV alcohol commercials target teenagers who may be influenced to participate in underage drinking.

2,035 words () | 7 sources | APA | 2004 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that alcohol and beer commercials depict drinking as a desirable activity, and portray drinking in social settings that are particularly appealing to teenagers, such as sports, dances and parties. The paper shows that alcohol is the principal drug abuse problem in America today and is the No.1 drug killing teenagers, which opens up a whole new front on this nation's war on drugs. The paper argues that we all have to take responsibility for sending proper messages to teenagers and to take whatever measures are necessary to protect them from the advertising industries that are targeting them at any expense.

From the Paper:

"The voluntary ban on alcohol advertising was broken in 1996 by Seagram's. Their actions were met with much negative reaction from politicians, health care professionals, and child advocate groups. Yet, alcoholic beverage companies have moved forward with their relentless advertising campaigns that are purposely targeted at today's youth. President Clinton, a strong advocate of restoring that ban, fought with lawmakers and the FCC to launch an inquiry into regulating alcohol advertising and reestablishing the ban (Clinton, 1997). The FCC is responsible for protecting the public's interests in the use of the airwaves, but are they doing their job?"