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Just One Drink

The Propaganda of Alcohol

By: John Addison and Julia Salavarria

A world where a producer does not care if their product is harmful to the consumer is far too
normalized. Alcohol advertising to teenagers is taking over all
forms of social media, T.V., and radio. New flavors are
constantly hitting the market with titles like: “Wild cherry
fusion” and “Cupcake Liquor”. Its small little details like these
that give teens the impression that alcohol is fun and meant to
be recklessly consumed. This mindset leads to alcohol abuse
along with the health issues that can surround that type of
lifestyle.

It is a well known fact teenagers cannot be told no. They will

always find a way to have fun and bend the rules. With this in
mind, the future generation’s relationship with alcohol is in the
producer’s hands. They have the power to educate their
audience and consumers to drink responsibly and at the proper
legal age.

Teenagers are easily influenced by nature. Producers of large liquor companies know and actively take
advantage of this. Binge alcohol consumption can take a serious toll on their developing bodies. Alcohol
advertising to teenagers encourages early alcohol abuse and can cause life long health
complications.

The Flavors Of Advertisement

Alcohol companies advertise to teenagers in very creative ways. From fruity flavors to celebrity
faces and joyful environments, these companies use every resource possible to appeal to the
younger generation.

Using upbeat music, party environments, and smiling faces, companies cater to a larger youth
audience. “Students like lifestyle and image-oriented elements of television beer commercials
that are delivered with humor and youth-oriented music and/or characters.” (Waiters, Treno,
Grube). These “good time” advertisements and carefree commercials show teenagers that
underage drinking is acceptable and even fun. The more relatable and happy these companies'
ads are, the more teenagers will be pulled into the dangers of underage drinking.

The flavors of different alcoholic drinks are also subliminally targeted to a younger audience.
With flavors like mango and watermelon, teenagers are bound to experiment with these fruity
flavors. Some alcohol companies even use their social media platforms to see which flavors are
in high demand. “White Claw tapped into its internet fandom and chose the three new flavors
based on more than 70,000 requests from social media” (Valinsky). With no age restriction on

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these requests, teenagers and under age drinkers are able to request flavors they want to be made.
Without regulations on alcohol advertisements, these companies are able to advertise to young
minds with their appealing flavors and persuasive emotion through commercials and social
media platforms such as twitter and instagram.

No More Shots

“Well just don’t drink”, says many parents and alcohol companies. Many of these companies do
not want to be liable for kids who drink, and therefore put a small warning label in fine print on
their ads. They say that it is not legal for teenagers to consume and buy alcohol and should not be
the individual companies fault. Instead, it is up to the parents and individual teenagers to not
drink and follow the rules.

Law enforcement is also cracking down on underage drinking. “State investigators sweeping the
venue for fake IDs and underage drinkers” (Chayes, Valenti). Law enforcement are doing their
best to put a halt on underage drinking and its consequences, especially at parties and other
concert environments. But, these law enforcement agencies are not focusing on the bigger
picture on what gets kids hooked. There are many laws and regulations that try and combat
underage drinking, but there are no regulations that go along with alcohol advertising. From
youtube to instagram, kids are being influenced every day to consume alcohol.

The Hard Seltzer Reality

Although it is true that you can simply put the cup down and not drink, the hard reality is that
kids are going to drink and even though the law prohibits underage drinking, “minors can easily
obtain alcohol from many sources” (Toomey, Rosenfeld, Wagenaar). These companies'
advertisements are spending millions to influence these decisions on how minors are going to
obtain and drink alcohol. It is extremely unfair to fully blame kids when companies are targeting
them specifically.

While companies say they are against teenage drinking, their actions say differently. They realize
teenagers are a huge potential profit and are willing to invest large sums of money into getting
teenagers hooked. With ads on youtube, twitter, and other social media platforms, kids are surely
going to see these alcohol advertisements. Knowing all the different tactics these companies use
to appeal to the younger audience, it is only right that they should be at least held partly
responsible for teen drinking habits.

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The Nasty Truth

Drinking alcohol at too young of an age can be very harmful to a teenager’s developing body.
”The effects of long-term alcohol use on the brain may be lifelong. Drinking also creates a higher
risk for depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.”(Wechsler). Teenagers already struggle with
navigating their developing brains as it is. Advertising may prey on the low self esteem of
teenagers.

”Of course, heavier drinking increases the likelihood of adverse alcohol-related consequences among
teens” (Colder et al. 2002). The common culture of binging till you drop is 1romanticizing the nasty
health complications that go along with such drinking. Advertising to teenagers only encourages
such behavior, it must be addressed at the root.

“But Some Say…”

Many will say teens are not heavily affected by alcohol advertising. Though they may feel this
way about their own upbringing, in today’s society, ads have taken over. “Studies from the United
States show that adolescent girls see about 68 percent of alcohol advertisements aimed at young women”
(Sask). It is clear the younger generations are already being exposed to alcoholic content. It is
almost as if these commercials and flavors are being made to specifically appeal to kids.

Responsibility is the Key

“Covariates included early substance use, early conduct

problems, early depressed mood, gender, and parental
educational attainment” (Mason,Spoth). The consequences of
teenagers and younger audiences viewing content that isn’t
age-appropriate will last longer than most anticipate. Contact
viewing like this can lead to substance-abuse in the future if not
properly addressed.

Smirnoff is Enough

The advertisements of alcohol on social media can have devastating effects on teenagers'
physical and mental health. From the fruity flavors to the celebrity faces, these companies are
persuading kids to drink.

We, as a society, need to address the harms of mental and physical health due to these companies'
role in underage drinking. More regulations of how and where these companies advertise must
be put in place in order to protect these future adults. The companies should partly be legally
held accountable for the actions of these kids. So next time you see an alcohol advertisement,
think twice on who they are advertising to.
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