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Introduction
Tobacco and alcohol are both legal substances, which people purchase without restraints after they reach adulthood. Different countries have divergent rules regarding these products. However, most state laws do not prohibit the advertisement of tobacco and alcohol because they are legal to purchase. Some producers argue that people decide voluntarily to start consuming cigarettes or alcohol. It is an essential problem because promoting such chemicals potentially causes many health and psychological problems. One of the most vulnerable target groups among cigarettes and alcohol advertisements is teenagers. Underage tobacco and alcohol use is a significant public health problem. It can lead to several diseases in the future like impotence, lung cancer, and heart diseases.
There is a public dispute concerning advertisements for smoking and drinking in their influence on potential consumers. Corporate advertisement is the nature of business, especially in America. The main problem with promotions is showing only the favorable side, leaving concerns for health in the shadows. New techniques and media translation had developed to deliver the product favorably in the eyes of the targeted group (Weitzman and Lee 97). The government should regulate the corporate advertisement of tobacco and alcohol because of the public exposure of cigarette and alcohol advertisements to teenagers, the positive representation of these substances, and the high correlation with their use. Although tobacco and alcohol are legal substances, their advertisement should be regulated because it is closely associated with teenage smoking and drinking, wrong perception, and smoking initiation.
Teenage Smoking and Drinking
The dispute about advertisements concerns the possibility of teenagers being exposed to the promotion of smoking and alcohol. The targeting of youth was persistent even though the law existed regarding that issue of 1998: Master Settlement Agreement (Weitzman and Lee 97). This law placed some limitations on the advertisement of cigarettes. The argument of producers stands on the fact that cigarettes and alcohol are legal; therefore, as other products, they are allowed to be advertised. Although cigarettes and alcohol are legal substances, unlike heroin or any other drug, they are potentially dangerous. They both have negative societal impacts on personality, and it is evident that most people irresponsibly use them.
Tremendous pressure stands on teenagers since they are not experienced enough to decide for themselves. Tobacco and alcohol producers target teenagers because teenagers are three times more responsive than adults (Weitzman and Lee 98). Therefore, the danger stands not in legal permission to advertise the product but as a potential threat to youth health.
Use of Mascots and Popular Culture in Advertisements
Tobacco and alcohol producers argue that children and teenagers depend on their parents; therefore, they cannot influence the youth. Moreover, most people understand the dangers of excessive smoking and drinking. On the contrary, the period of childhood and adolescence is a critical time for identity formation. Some brands of tobacco companies rely on images that coincide with the interests or topics that are important to the young audience. It is controversial because it attracts teenagers based on their coming-of-age period. For example, tobacco companies usually have themes of independence from parents and athleticism (Weitzman and Lee 98). Alcohol is generally used in social acceptability, sexuality, and popularity. Some products in higher price ranges rely on feelings of wealth, influence, and adventurousness to fulfill adolescent aspirations.
Producers would provide warnings in the films and advertisements, but it is not enough to alert the young population about potential dangers. The tobacco industry has been arguably one of the most popular sponsors of Hollywood filmmakers since the 1970s. Subtle advertisements in the background or the use of a particular brand are potent forms of promotion; around 80% of movies include the portrayal of tobacco use (Weitzman and Lee 99). The strong and consistent exposure can create a powerful depiction of smoking as a convenient style of life. Although most films have viewer discretion before the beginning, it is not as strong as the imagery in the movie.
Tobacco and alcohol companies argue that advertisements and mascots are used to establish brand loyalty among smokers and drinkers rather than attract new customers. However, there is a high dependence between preferences gained with the help of advertisement and higher product consumption rates (Weitzman and Lee 98). Moreover, people try substances with existing tastes, and brand switching is infrequent. It depends on the first experience of the smoker or drinker. Therefore, the producers argument does not fit into reality.
Relationships between Advertisement and Initiation of Tobacco and Alcohol Use
There is a proven correlation between exposure to advertisements and consumption of cigarettes and smoking. Although tobacco and alcohol producers would argue that the advert aims to establish brand loyalty for the current customers, many new smokers are coming from the promotion itself. National Cancer Institute Monograph provided the report in 2012 concluding the existing evidence on causal relationships between cigarette advertisements and the beginning of smoking in the age group of juveniles (Weitzman and Lee 98). Therefore, open access to the products, advertising to the underage group, and targeting the youth can lead to adolescent tobacco use.
Conclusion
The use of smoke and alcohol at a young age can result in permanent structural changes in the organism. Therefore, it is essential to control and regulate the advertisement of cigarettes and alcohol producers. Both smoking and drinking are legal, and selling is available, but these facts cannot justify the positive promotion of abusive substances on TV and the Internet. Even though some people have chosen this path voluntarily, most abusers are initiated with the help of wrong role models, promotions, and peer pressure. Knowledge of brands, positive representation of smoking and drinking alcohol, and exposure to false associations indicate that commercial advertisement directly influences the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol.
Work Cited
Weitzman, Michael, and Lily Lee. Similarities between Alcohol and Tobacco Advertising Exposure and Adolescent Use of Each of These Substances. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Supplement, s19, 2020, 97-105.
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