Celebrities Should Warn Against Alcohol, Not Hype Drinking in Ads

The July 5 article, “Liquor Industry Courts Blacks; Ad Campaigns Aimed at Community Draw Fire of Critics,” described well how the liquor industry is targeting the black community with a heavy dose of advertising and public relations. The article stated that the Center for Science in the Public Interest opposes the use of black celebrities in alcoholic beverage ads. In fact, we oppose the use of all celebrities for promoting drinking.

TV, radio, newspaper and magazine ads bombard the general public, including youths, with messages equating drinking with athletic, social and sexual success. A major federally sponsored study has shown that athletes, show business personalities and other celebrities in alcohol advertising are particularly persuasive with teen-agers. These ads provide no information about the dangers of drinking and alcohol abuse.

Even though blacks drink less per capita than the rest of our population, blacks suffer disproportionately from alcohol-related problems. Black men have 10 times the rate of esophageal cancer and twice the rate of liver cirrhosis mortality as white men. Blacks in general experience higher rates of obstructive pulmonary disease, severe malnutrition, birth defects and hypertension.

Major educational programs are needed because the consequences of alcohol abuse are so grave. According to Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, “the fact that alcohol abuse is the leading health and safety problem in black America is buried beneath the deluge of slick promotions to drink.”

Warning labels are needed for people who drink. When it comes to kids, however, we need to do even more. It is simply not acceptable for celebrities, black or white, to entice children with pro-alcohol messages. We should take celebrities out of the ads and put them in frequently broadcast public service announcements if we really want to reduce alcohol problems in our nation.

PATRICIA TAYLOR

Director, Alcohol Policies Project

Center for Science in the Public Interest