Alcohol Advertising: The Cause of Underage Drinking?
The question, “Is alcohol advertising the cause of underage drinking?” seems to flow through the minds of many American families. The answer to the question largely depends upon the families view on drinking in general. Some homes encourage drinking every once in a while, for social purposes; while others condemn it all together. The topic is very controversial with several factors weighing in such as religion, family background, and health. Despite the differing views, statistics have shown that underage drinking has reached a new height this past year. What is the cause of this rise in adolescent drinking? I will be reviewing the work of four different authors in an attempt to answer this question.
Dina Berta grew up with alcohol in her home and believes that alcohol is a part of American life, and is a normal accompaniment to most social events. She said, “Most Americans enjoy drinking on a regular basis.” She feels that Americans are too “uptight” and that drinking socially, even underage, is not a problem. George Hacker and Robyn Suriano disagree with her and they feel that underage drinking has become a serious problem and that children are drinking more heavily at a younger age. Suriano states, “alcohol is the most abused drug in the country, and the number of children trying alcoholic beverages before they reach 18 has doubled in the past decade.” Hacker agrees with this point by giving the statistic that 4.1 million kids younger than 18 tried alcohol in the year 2000. Hacker also states his belief that when the youth drink, they drink heavily and excessively. Suriano and Hacker both agree that the cause of excessive underage drinking is advertisements.
The subject of alcohol advertisements negative effects on the behaviors of young people is very diverse. Most liquor and beer companies agree with Berta that the purpose of alcohol advertisings is to encourage drinkers to try new brands, not to promote excessive drinking. Hacker states, “despite the intent of the industry, research shows that alcohol advertising does influence young people.” He strongly disagrees with Berta, stating that the advertisements have a negative effect. “It preprograms them to drink and drink excessively for a “good time.” ...
... middle of paper ...
...ge drinking and she gives a list of recommendations that all parents should go by in order to alleviate the problem.
The opinions of these four authors prove that alcohol advertising is an extremely controversial topic. When questioning American’s youth, you will get varied responses, similar to the conflicting opinions of the authors. Some homes side with Dina Berta and Jon Kate, while others agree more with Robyn Suriano and George Hacker. Alcohol industries see eye to eye with Berta and Kate. Berta feels advertising is fine and that drinking is a normal part of American culture. Kate feels that there is a problem with underage drinking but that advertisements are not the cause. Robyn Suriano and George Hacker feel underage drinking is a big problem and action needs to take place in order to reduce underage drinking. Hacker blames advertisements while Suriano feels the problem stems from both advertisements and the family. As shown, the topic is very debatable, depending largely on personal upbringing and experiences. Hence, the question still remains, “Are alcohol advertisements the cause of underage drinking?”
not to advertise their products, first on radio in 1936, and of TV in 1948.
There has been an ongoing controversy in the United States on whether the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen like most of the world or if it should stay at twenty-one. Underage drinking has been a major controversial issue for years, yet why is it not under control? Teenagers are continuing to buy alcohol with fake identification cards, drink, get into bars, and drink illegally. As a teen I have proof that these things are going on not only in college but in high school as well. There are a lot of factors that come together to why the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen; the most obvious reason is too many people are drinking before they are twenty-one. Liquor stores, bars, and clubs all want to make money and if they can get away with selling to underage teens then they will. A study done by the Academic Search Premier agrees that, ?By now it is obvious that the law has not succeeded in preventing the under-21 group from drinking? (Michael Smith 1).
Alcohol is advertised on billboards and other signs, in print, and on radio and television. It is al...
Many people wonder if kids are drinking earlier and earlier and they feel the drinking age should be raised. On the other hand many people are against raising the drinking age, mainly those whom would be affected by this decision, Americas youth. From its affect on society, including its appeal towards young adults, to the diseases it causes, the problems of alcohol abuse are widespread and in many forms.
In conclusion, establishing the age of twenty-five as the legal age to purchase of alcohol can be of great benefit to the community on the long run. With the assistance of substance abuse treatments, the statistics for underage drinking will be reduced significantly. Parents who continue to watch out over what types of magazines or advertisements their children come across are positively influencing them and greatly impacting their
Today, an average of 4,358 drinkers under the age of twenty-one are diagnosed with alcohol as a factor of their death. Mother Aleae Pennette never would have guessed that July 10, 2011 would be the day that her daughter would add on to that statistic. Fourteen year old Takeimi Rao was found dead that morning after mixing vodka and soda with her friends during a sleepover (Conley). Though extremely tragic, Takeimi was only one of 8.7 million minors and young adults (ages twelve to twenty) that reported having more than “just a few sips” of alcoholic beverages in the past month. Additionally, her age group is responsible for 11% of the alcohol consumed in The United States (“Underage Drinking”). Although the concept may seem implausible to some, the involvement that children had with alcohol nearly one hundred years ago could be an indirect cause of the millions of underage drinkers in The United States
Do you ever feel that life is getting so busy and stressful that you just wish you could go back to grade 1 where you just colour and play with toys all day? Well sadly, I can’t arrange it for you to go back in time but, I can help you in a way where you could have enough time to play with toys and feel at ease again. I have recently discovered a majestic book called the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. You may be thinking “Another useless book written by adults? N thank you.” But you are wrong. Many teenagers just like you and me have participated in writing this book by writing their own stories of how this book helped them. This book is split into 3 sections. PBA & Habits 1-3: Private Victory, Habits 4-6: Public Victory
As a bestselling novel, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey challenges students to become better versions of themselves through a methodology of intra- and interpersonal exercises taught by many religions and self-help programs around the globe. In this book, readers are taught that prioritizing, proactivity, good communication and intrapersonal strength are all equally important, and that one must achieve inner determination and self esteem before their relationships can be healthy. I agree with Covey, and believe that all of these habits are necessary to being an effective and successful teen. In an age where technology is so accessible and most things from 1998 seem out of place, I not only related to the text, but also realized areas of my life that were lacking. Of all the seven habits, Begin with the End in Mind (habit two), Put First Things First (habit three), and Think Win-Win (habit four) are the building blocks to a sound, effective lifestyle.
It can be inferred that the opposing arguments published in the Washington Post by T.R. Reid and Joseph Califano in regard to teenage drinking in America and other nations of the western hemisphere are not only polar opposites, but so extreme that it does not allow for a happy median. Harsh restrictions not only discourage parents of today's American society from talking freely with teens pertaining to responsible drinking, but also chastises parents who allow teens to experiment with alcohol in a controlled setting with experienced adults. Alcohol consumption should be the decision of a well informed adult. Alcohol should not be regarded as such an unsettling topic when encounters with alcohol are inevitable and prevalent in our daily lives.
So why the hike in usage over such a short span of time? A few tentative conclusions have surfaced in response to the rapidly growing numbers. Research has shown that the absence of a parental figure within the household has proven to be an effective catalyst in spurring youth to participate in what would otherwise be considered reckless behavior. An additional explanation for the use of alcohol by an underage demographic can be the self-justification, created by youth, based on parental observation. If an adolescent actively participates in the consumption of alcohol, in an attempt to emulate the actions of their parents, then psychologically, that action would warrant that much more credibility.
Apple is an American producer of personal computer, personal computer peripherals, cellular telephones and PC programming. It was the first effective personal computer organization and advanced the graphical client interface. Its central command center is situated in Cupertino, California. Apple was established by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976, to create and offer PCs. Apple is presently the world 's second biggest data innovation organization by income after Samsung Electronics, and the world 's third biggest cellular telephone producer.(Apple, 2012)
Reading the book 7 Habits of a highly effective teen have taught me many things, self-encouragement is a huge part along with how to focus yourself and trick your mind into setting yourself towards great things. I’ve learned that the mind will tell a person something that one might blow over and forget important things that might help people in certain situations. The book talks about 7 habits to help a teen through situations in life and just things you come across in life and need a way to deal with it. Many of the habits also help let a teen think about where he or she might want to be successfully in life. Some habits that really stood out to me where The Personal Bank Account, Think Win Win and Begin with the End in Mind.
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” was written by Sean Covey. The main purpose of this book is to inspire teenagers to improve their choices now in order to become well-rounded adults. Like his Father Stephen R. Covey, who wrote “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Sean’s work is essentially similar to his father’s work, but unlike his father, Sean wrote this book specifically for teens to inform them on how to live a more effective lifestyle. As part of my course “Personal Development & Leadership” that I’m currently taking this semester, I was given the task to read the book in question with aim of to understand the motive of the book and eventually find ways to improve certain aspects of my live in a positive manner. As I was
Apple Inc. Founded by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne, Steve Wozniak in April 1, 1976, is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, online services, and personal computers.
The book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” by Sean Covey he provides 7 habits to help you improve. They are separated into two parts called private and public victories or Personal and relationship bank accounts.