The Medias Effect on Underage Alcohol Abuse
The Media's Effects on Underage Drinking The use of alcohol is a major aspect of our society. It is used in religious ceremonies, during socialization, and its presence is seen everywhere. Second only to caffeine, more people drink alcohol than any other substance. It appears in many forms such as beer, wine, and hard liquor. It has been praised, denounced, accepted, and outlawed in the past century alone. The effects of alcohol are numerous. From drunk driving accidents to fetal alcohol syndrome, from liver disease to the increased chance of sexually transmitted disease, alcohol's reach is widespread. Alcohol contributes to 100,000 deaths annually, making it the third leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States (McGinnis, p. 2208). As well, 41% of all traffic fatalities, the leading cause of accidental death, are alcohol-related (NHTSA, sec 4. p.1). Underage drinking is a major problem in our society. Thirty-four percent of all high school seniors have had a drink in the past month (Johnston, p. ). As well, 1.2 million of these seniors are binge drinkers. (CASA, 1997). In eight grade, 1 million students admit they have been drunk (CASA, 1997). In 1996, nine million drinkers were under the age of
, MD, DrPH, Director, Center for Adolescent Behavior Research, Andrews University, Power Point Presentation "Media Influence on the Health of Adolescents"Johnston, L. Television ads portray drinking in situations that are potentially dangerous. The commercials are colorful and loud, they feature the "beautiful people"; super models, Hollywood stars, sports stars, and rock stars that society has come to look up to for advice. twenty-one, and that number has increased since. These commercials link drinking with sociability, elegance, physical attractiveness, success, romance, and adventure. If you go down to the First Union Center you can hag out at its very own microbrewery after the game. And this does not include the imbedded advertisements. In the stadiums, entire walls are devoted to a brand of beer. They blame it on parents, bad teaching, and more commonly peer pressure. 1, 1996NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) News release, January 14, 1998 p. If you open your favorite magazine you can find out that Smirnikov brand vodka isn't pretentious. This goes back to the basic principle of advertising; it sells products (Hopkins, P. If teenagers get accustomed to alcohol now, they most certainly will continue using it when they are older.
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