Chat Time 9 - Alcohol Advertisements

Text

Questions

1. What are the possible dangers of drinking alcohol?
   a. Drinking alcohol can damage health and develop various cancers. Drinking too much also increases your chances of being injured or even killed.
   b. Heavy drinkers have a greater risk of liver disease, depression and several types of cancer. They may have problems managing diabetes, high blood pressure, and other conditions. Frequent drinking is also linked with personal problems, including losing jobs and having family problems.

2. Do you think young people are influenced by alcohol ads?
   a. Alcohol ads try to make young people believe that by drinking alcohol, they will lead exciting lives and not have to worry about their future.
   b. Alcohol ads influence young people’s behaviour negatively. They foster positive beliefs about drinking and encourage young people to drink alcohol and in greater quantities.

3. Do you think banning alcohol ads is the best solution?
   a. There is a strong link between advertising and people’s consumption of alcohol, so banning alcohol ads is the best solution to protect young people.
   b. I think banning alcohol ads is only the first step. There should be comprehensive measures against alcohol abuse such as taxation of alcohol, enactment of a minimum legal drinking age, restrictions on hours or days of sale and other related regulations.

Individual Response

1. Have you ever seen an alcohol advertisement?
   a. We are all exposed to alcohol ads in our daily lives. We see alcohol ads on TV, in newspapers or sponsoring events. We also receive alcohol promotional items like caps or T-shirts.
   b. Alcohol advertising comes in many different shapes and forms - radio, TV, newspapers, billboards, Internet, sporting events, and much more. We are also bombarded with alcohol brand images in the music we listen to, the movies we watch, the websites we visit, and the magazines we read.

2. Do you think there are many young people who want to drink alcohol?
  a. I think many young people are curious about alcohol because they see and hear a lot about alcohol—from TV, movies, music, and their friends, so they start drinking alcohol.
  b. Today alcohol is widely available and aggressively promoted through TV, film, radio, ads, and the Internet. Many young people might think drinking alcohol will be fun and enjoyable, so this may cause them to start drinking.

3. Do you think alcohol ads should only be allowed in certain forms of media?
   The more alcohol ads young people see, the more they drink. So I think alcohol ads should not be allowed in all forms of media. I even suggest alcohol advertisers start putting warning messages about the possible negative consequences of alcohol use in their ads.

4. Does advertising or peer pressure have a greater effect on young people?
   Young people who start drinking alcohol are affected by both advertising and peer pressure. Peer pressure is obviously more important because young people tend to follow the example of their peer groups. If their peer group drink, then it is very difficult not to do the same. Alcohol advertising helps young people become familiar with brands of alcohol, but it is less clear whether it induces them to start drinking in the first place.

5. What advice would you give to a friend who was frequently drinking?
   I would tell my friend the negative consequences of drinking and advise him to reduce drinking to moderate levels or abstain entirely from alcohol. I would also encourage him to consult with a professional to talk about his alcohol problem.