Teens who are exposed to alcohol marketing are far more likely to develop an alcohol addiction and drink more than teens who are not exposed to ads for alcohol products. Alcohol addiction is a serious problem and teens are often one of the age groups most affected. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health associated Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth reviewed the advertising laws of each state and stress that alcohol addiction and substance abuse in teens can be lowered simply by changing the ways that some states allow alcohol advertising. When teens are exposed to ads for alcohol the teens are more likely to start drinking if they do not already. Teens who already drink tend to drink more frequently or in larger amounts when exposed to alcohol advertising, leading to alcohol addiction.
The link between alcohol addiction and exposure to alcohol related advertising is strong. This link has resulted in many scientists and health professionals speaking out on restrictions for advertising that pushes alcohol, and restrictions on what topics and facts these ads can contain. A big push is in the process to stop any ads that are not factual or that tend to glamorize drinking. The rate of alcohol addiction among teens is very troubling and the trend continues to increase. Alcohol addiction will continue to grow unless steps are taken to minimize this epidemic. A ban on ads that portray drinkers as sophisticated or cool would be a good start. Many believe that alcohol companies should have labels similar to what the US Government wants to place on cigarette packs, showing the damage that the product can cause. This may help to bring down the rate of alcohol addiction and would be a welcome first step for many people.
