Drug Use & Abuse

State the question from the list of approved topics, word for word.

Should liquor commercials be banned from television?

Introduce the topic and include the point and counterpoint without providing an opinion.

For about half a century before the beginning of the new millennium, hard liquor ads remained banned from television and radio. It is interesting to note that this ban, was self-imposed by the hard-liquor industry itself. However, as from 2000, there many liquor producers have decided to lift this ban and spend significant financial resources in advertising their drinks in television. Those against a ban on liquor TV ads say believe that the ban would be pointless as they are censored enough as they are today. However, those supporting the ban believe that the ban would reduce heavy drinking of liquor among the impressionable youth.

Overall argument FOR (point)

Banning liquor ads on TV would go a long way into reducing alcoholism and alcohol addiction among the youth who are widely perceived to be irresponsible consumers of alcohol.

#1 Argument FOR

There are several researches carried out that establish a correlation between alcohol ads and increased alcohol consumption among the youth. Hence, many liquor companies create their adverts targeting the youth as they are believed to contribute a large proportion of their revenues. The youth on the other hand are assumed to be irresponsible drinkers and tend to engage in excessive consumption of liquor, often as a result of peer pressure. This in turn promotes alcohol addiction among the youth. Thus, a ban on liquor commercials on TV would contribute directly to reduce alcohol addiction amongst the youth.

#2 Argument FOR

Liquor consumption is much worse than beer or wine. This is because hard liquor such as whiskey and gin contain a stringer concertation of alcohol than beer or wine. Hence, as liquor consumption poses greater threat to good human health and safety, then its consumption should be discouraged. One significant way of limiting liquor consumption is through a ban on its TV ads.

#3 Argument FOR

Liquor ads on TV spreads around false glamorization. Liquor ads are notorious for creating an image of alcohol consumption as a sure way of realizing success in sports and life. They associate charisma, success and good life with liquor consumption. Critics believe that this is a blatant lie, especially on the impressionable youths who are just beginning their adult life. Because of this misrepresentation, then critics urge that liquor ads should be banned from television.

Concluding Sentence:

Those opposing liquor advertisements on TV believe that these bans would be a sign of good corporate citizenship due to the harmful effects of liquor consumption especially among the youth.

Transition (i.e., On the other hand)

Overall argument AGAINST (point)

On the other hand, there are many people who are strongly against any bans on liquor advertisements. These people believe that these bans are a sign of discrimination against liquor consumption.

#1 Argument AGAINST

The current federal legislations provide for standards that ensure that any alcohol advertisements on television and radio are censored adequately. Hence, liquor adverts on TV never show any scene of people drinking explicitly. Besides, they only appear between the watershed hours of between 9pm to 11pm. Thus, there is already adequate censors to discourage irresponsible drinking behavior as well keep the adverts away from the children and the youth who are below the drinking age. An additional ban would therefore be ineffective and redundant.

#2 Argument AGAINST

Liquor ads provide much needed revenue to broadcasting revenues. Broadcasting executives admit that the liquor industry alone spends approximately $300 million each year on television adverts. Hence, banning these ads would deprive the broadcasters of huge sums of money.

#3 Argument AGAINST

Parents have the final say on what their children get to watch. All cable providers have parental control options to limit their children from watching objectionable content. Besides, many shows on TV are rated PG (Parental Guidance) implying that it is the parent to ensure that their children do not watch harmful content. Besides, there are never any liquor adverts brought during programs rated PG.

Concluding Sentence:

Therefore, those opposing the ban believe that there is no need to discriminate against the liquor industry because enough mechanisms have been put in place to promote sensible drinking of liquor.

A closing paragraph in which you state your opinion.

In conclusion, based on a balance between opposing and proposing sides on a ban on liquor ads on TV, the opinion of this paper is that there should be no such ban. This is because alcohol is alcohol, regardless of whether it is in hard liquor or in beer or wine. Therefore, it is useless and discriminatory to impose a ban on liquor ads and whilst beer and wine adverts remain. There are effective safeguards already in place to encourage responsible alcohol consumption

AT LEAST 2 sources for your arguments FOR and AT LEAST 2 sources for your counterpoint arguments AGAINST from peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports or other textbooks, using APA 6th edition.

Johnson, M, B., & Voas, B, R. (2002). Reducing high-risk drinking by young Americans south of the border: the impact of a partial ban on sales of alcohol. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 63(3), pp. 286-292. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.15288/jsa.2002.63.286.

McCornac, D, C. (2014). The demand for distilled spirits. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 45(7), 176-178. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.15288/jsa.2014.45.176.

Nelson, F, T., & Wechsler, H. (2001). Alcohol use and problems at colleges banning alcohol: results of a national survey. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 62 (2), pp. 133-141. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.15288/jsa.2001.62.133.

Smart, R, G. (2008). Does liquor advertising affect overall consumption? A review of empirical studies. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 74 (2), pp. 314-323. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.15288/jsa.2008.49.314.