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The alcohol and advertising industries argue that as alcoholic drink is a legal product it should e legally possible for it to be advertised, and that bans on alcohol advertising would have adverse effects on the alcohol market and on the media. They also argue that bans are not justified as advertising is concerned with promoting sales Of individual brands and there is no evidence Of a causal link between advertising and the overall level of alcohol consumption or the amount of alcohol related harm.
The main arguments are that as well as promoting brands, advertising is also concerned with recruiting new drinkers and increasing sales among existing, and especially heavy consumers. (Fisher 2-24) Henry Safer, a New York economist who focuses in alcohol research, assures that alcohol advertising is increasing traffic accidents and alcohol consumption. He declares, sunlit now, most of the studies done on the us object conclude that alcohol advertising doeskin : t affect drinking behavior.
The alcohol industry uses these studies to bolster its argument that advertising only induces people to switch brands. These studies keep coming and find nothing because they set themselves up to find nothing. i’ (Abramson 1) Safer researching Much of the debate concerns the possible effects on children and young people. The Advertising Codes prohibit the specific targeting of minors, but the ubiquity of alcohol advertising ensures that it can hardly be missed by them. Indeed, the evidence is that even young children are aware of alcohol advertisements and tend to remember them. Macmillan 251-252) sites American Academy of Pediatrics ” shows a recent study of the impact of television on children and teenagers: OX American children view over 23 hours of television per week. OX Teenagers view an average of 21 to 22 hours of television per week. OX By the time today’s children reach age 70, they will eve spent to 10 years of their lives watching television. sites American Academy of Pediatrics ” states that television advertising influence education and conduct of children and adolescents.
They believe that estimate spent watching TV could be better spent on constructive activities. i ” Some other statistics that are shown are: OX American children have viewed an estimated 360,000 advertisements on television before graduating from high school. OX America children view nearly 2,000 beer and wine commercials on television. Beer, wine and liquor companies spend over $2 billion per year on advertising and promotion. 1) Perhaps the most commonly held assumption by researchers in the field is that advertising works.