Alcohol Education

Re “Tell Children the Truth About Drinking,” Commentary, March 5: I submit that socializing our children to drink moderately and responsibly may lead to improved health and lower death rates in the future, but Stanton Peele is neglecting a whole area of media socialization that greatly influences our society.

I believe we also need to improve health behavior by addressing the mixed messages that our young receive from those who care about their health, such as parents and teachers, and those who are out to make a buck (or a few million), namely the alcohol manufacturers. If alcohol is found to be health beneficial, then it is not enough to teach responsible drinking at home; responsible advertising must be taught at the societal level.

HON TRAN

Los Angeles