Is it right for the media to still advertise alcohol when thousands of people are killed by drunk drivers?

Question

Back in the early 70's tobacco advertisments were banned from television apparently because they were considered a health hazard. I agree with this sentiment even though I smoke myself, however it has come to my attention that very few people have been killed in traffic accidents due to tobacco. I feel it is unfair to the public in general that alcohol is still advertised when thousands of people are killed in alcohol related accidents. I would like at least 100 views on this subject from all my fellow Y/A users. Thank you and God bless.

Answer 1

I do not agree with advertising drinking, i do not approve of drinking & driving, there should be stricter penalties, for those people who actually do that, i smoke & am penalised for smoking in places, like resrurants etc, at the beginning of all this i said that if smoking was to be banned everywhere then so should drinking as that wreaks more lives each year, than smoking ever could do, i get very annoyed when i hear about all these people that get away with drinking & driving & to advertise it is much worse they do not think of all those famlies out there that have lost someone that they love to the affects of one person stupidity

Answer 2

I worked for awhile with the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which is most likely the most prominent group working to stop Drunk Driving all around the world.

One thing which they were always very specific about saying was that they are not against alcohol consumption as long as you can be responsible about it and be smart enough to arrange other methods of transportation.

While very few people have died due to traffic accidents from tobacco, it has been scientifically proven that cigarettes cause cancer and many other serious medical issues, leading to the ban on their advertisement on t.v.
Since alcohol is not actually the killer in drunk driving accidents, but the driver is, as they chose to drive impaired, against the law and put others in danger, it is not alcohol that is to blame, but the drivers themselves.

One thing you neglected to mention is that there are specific regulations for alcohol advertisements. All must state that it is for adult consumption only, and that alcohol and driving do not mix. If you notice, most commercials add either a voice message saying drink responsibly don't drive, or they have it in print on the bottom of the ad.

It is not the responsibility of alcohol producers to stop their consumers from driving impaired, it is each and every individuals responsibility and this is why drunk driving is such a heinous offense.

If you're interested in working towards the end of drunk driving, I'd check out the MADD website
www.madd.ca in Canada and www.madd.com in the United States. They currently have many campaigns and an incredible amount of information about the work they are doing.
One of their campaigns currently is asking for stricter penalties for those caught drinking and driving. If anything is to blame for the crazy number of people still drinking and driving although it is against the law I would consider how lenient the laws are in the case of it.

Did you know your first time caught in the act you don't even get your license revoked in the United States or Canada? Now that's something I call insane and completely unfathomable.

Answer 3

Life is risk. Every person you know is at some point going to breathe his or her last. I don't know about you, but I didn't wake up this morning with some beatific entity smiling down upon me and assuring me I'd get to lay my head down come bedtime. Having said that, no, banning alcohol or cars is not the answer. Zero tolerance policies are stupid and, even worse, lazy. If you start fixating on all the things that can kill you based on precedent, you're gonna have to stop taking showers, using writing implements and eating solid food. I'm actually more concerned about the ubiquitous cell phone and other hand held gadgets. If you get caught behind the wheel either loaded or focused on texting your opinion on your friend's recent purchase of pretty, pink panties, I believe you should be shamed publicly. I'm all for bringing back the stocks. In the age of feelings and emotion, nothing scares the hell out of people more in general than being a social pariah. Print out the person's picture and detail his/her stupidity. Send it to their employer, their parents, their kid's soccer team. And, yes, take away driving privileges and make it expensive and a pain in the *** to regain them. Caught driving illegally? Five years behind bars. But, in our f'ed society, this would be deemed too harsh... I mean, someones little ol' feelings might get hurt. Wow. Apparently being an @$$hole is now a right. As Jon Locke so eloquently put it: "All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions."

Answer 4

I think that when we start going down this road we open ourselves to question product advertising in a lot of different areas as well. Its a slippery slope. Do we stop advertising fast food, people die from obesity everyday? How about junk food? What about Viagra, those old men could have heart attacks! While we are at it let's get those cars off of the streets period, lots of people die in non-alcohol related accidents every year. I think more responsible advertising from alcohol companies is the better answer.

Answer 5

Money, the alcohol industry greases enough wheels to keep their advertisements on the air. I agree with you totally, Alcohol kills thousands every year, not just through car accidents, also through alcoholism, kidney & liver disease, spousal and child abuse, and overdose.

I enjoy a drink now and then, but I am not going to make excuses for alcohol. There was a reason we abolished it in this nation, and although prohibition didn't work, it should be noted that regulation of Tobbacco (as well as better education of it's effects) has been effective in reducing the number of smokers.

Answer 6

Not advertising for alcohol will not stop people from driving drunk. It obviously didn't work for tobacco because people still smoke. There are more people killed from heart disease due clogged arteries but you don't see a ban on fast food commercials. People are killed in accidents from driving recklessly , yet the car commercials still stress the "zoom zoom" factor to convince people to purchase a vehicle. What it amounts to is the fact that we cannot legislate good decision making. Unfortunately, some people will continue to make poor choices regardless of what they see in print or on television.

Answer 7

I think that even though there are thousands of people killed in alcohol related accidents that the companies themselves have a right to advertise. Every alcohol related commercial / print ad / etc. I see has an explicit warning : Please drink responsibly.

The alcohol companies are well aware of the statistics and are doing what they can to encourage safe and responsible use of alcohol.

They can advertise their product, but once it reaches the hands of their audience, it is up to each individual to make a decision based on their own good judgment not to drive impaired.

Answer 8

Why don't you have them ban all vehicle advertisements since more people are killed in accidents not involving alcohol? Your smoking analogy doesn't work. Smoking all by itself can kill you and others around you who are breathing in your toxic waste (and lighting up may distract a driver enough to cause an accident, BTW). The drinker, as long as he/she is not driving or waving a gun, only does damage to themselves when they are pounding down the shots.

Answer 9

That makes sense to me ...Alcohol doesn't need advertising it sells itself just by sitting on the shelves of our markets and liqueur
stores...

Freedom of speech plays a part and I wonder if it would make a difference at all if we did ban it..... I myself wouldn't miss the adverts at all.....

Answer 10

I think that it wrong for cars to be advertised. Without cars then there would not be more people killed in wrecks than in Viet Nam every year. It is the same thing. Damn that is a brilliant idea. No more sales of anything that can be misused by anyone.

Lets see. No more over the counter medications, prescriptions, no sale of rope or glue, spray paint, regular paint, cleaning supplies, food, water, any damn thing at all then we can all set in the corner and die from boredom and starvation. Your are so smart!!!!!!!!

WHY DON'T YOU START WITH OUT ME AND I WILL JOIN YOU LATER.