Why should alcohol tobacco and fast food and pharmaceutical advertising be prohibited
We are exposed to advertisements on daily bases may it be through social media, internet browsing, listening to the radio or watching our favourite television programs. The main reason for the dominance of adverts is because advertisement is the primary lifeline for all forms of institutions. In other words, advertising is the central tool used by both profit and non-profit institution to increase public exposure. Secondly, companies generate large volumes of revenues annually, and as a result, the industry continues to attract more advertisement agencies every day. For instance, towards the end of 1800s, patent medicines and departmental store contributed to more than half sales revenues generated by advertisement agencies. As a result, drug manufacturing companies and distribution stores fostered financial survival of various magazines (Campbell, Martin & Fabos, 2014). Given the paramount economic significance of advertisement to both companies (producers of goods and services) and the end consumers, this assignment discusses reasons why alcohol, tobacco and fast food and pharmaceutical advertising should be prohibited.
In the early 1990s, governments took an opposing position and banned the promotion of promoting alcohol, tobacco, fast food and pharmaceutical products because they posed a significant threat to health, social and economic wellbeing. The main logic behind the enforcement of such restriction is that advertisement significantly influences people’s product choices which consequently end up influencing their consumption patterns.
Alcohol advertising should be banned because alcohol has been medically proven to be harmful to people’s health. According to Campbell, Martin & Fabos (2014), it is estimated that about 100,000 people die each year from alcohol-related conditions and another 16,000 to 17,000 die in road accidents involving drunk drivers. Alcohol also interferes with routine physical and psychological functions which increase an individual’s vulnerability to crime, violence and sexual abuse. Previous studies confirm that these problems still exist in our societies and as a result, permitting advertisements related to alcoholic substances will intensify the current situation.
I’m not at all convinced that the government should permit tobacco and alcohol advertising reason being by allowing them; they will continue glorifying and encouraging public consumption. For instance, adverts promoting alcohol and cigarettes portray these products as “great products”, and this influences children and adolescents viewing these commercials into believing that their consumption is socially accepted. Again given the fact these products are depicted to be “cool,” youths are influences into harmful recreational activities, and in the long run, this may lead to addiction, increase in crime and school dropouts.
According to Campbell, Martin & Fabos (2014), teenagers living in an environment dominated by commercial ads are mostly perceived as “consumer trainee.” This is one of the reasons why groups such as Action for Children’s Television (ACT) pushed for regulation on ads targeting children (407). Previous studies indicate that students are more likely to remember advertisements more than they are likely to remember news headlines. This is because adverts create a lasting psychological impression which makes it easy to remember and related to. In other words, exposing children to alcohol and tobacco advertising pushes them into drug and substance abuse.
Before ruling on whether advertisements on alcohol and tobacco should be allowed to be broadcasted in our television and social media platforms, I believe it is of paramount importance that we understand both short-term and long-term health implications of these products. Health experts define alcohol as a depressant which alters physical and psychological body functions primarily by decreasing activities of neurons in the brain; and which are responsible for controlling all cognitive functions. Tobacco, on the other hand, is a stimulant; meaning it accelerates mental processes. Most frequently, alcohol and cigarettes are consumed simultaneously and given that one is stimulant, and the other is a depressant, it is difficult for a consumer to notice the effects of alcohol are kicking in. The consumers’ inability to correctly assess their level of alcohol consumption contributes to poor judgement. The development of various health consequences such as throat and oesophagal cancers are some of the long-term health implications of smoking and drinking according to recent studies. From my point of view, permitting advertisements on alcohol and tobacco products will stimulate higher demand for these products and which undermines the global efforts to eradicate the associated health conditions.
Advertisements on fast foods should not be allowed because they encourage the development of eating disorders. Obesity is currently a serious health problem across the globe. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the pervasiveness of obesity accounted for 42.4% between 2017-2018 (Hales et al., 2020). In 2018, NHANES data indicated that 39.6% of the adult population and 18.5% of children in the United States were obese. These were the highest rates ever recorded in united states, according to NHANES (Henry, 2018). To minimize obesity pandemic, restriction on advertisements on fast food also referred to as “Junk food” was enacted. Fast foods advertising should be permitted to reduce children’s exposure high fats, sugar, salt and trans- fatty acid saturated foods according to the World Health organization (Dubois, Griffith & O’Connell, 2018). Marketing fast foods and beverages increase obesity rates among children, according to Gortmaker et al. (2011). This is because as it has been mentioned before, advertisement has a relatively long-lasting impact on children compared to adults.
Advertising fast foods should be banned not only to eradicate obesity but the high financial costs that consumers and governments incur for medical treatments. According to a study that was conducted by the American Psychological Association indicated that fast food outlets spend more than $12 billion on ads targeting children annually. Another study suggested that by restricting ads for junk foods; however, this could reduce obesity by 17% (Chou, Rashad, & Grossman, 2008).
Based on a research article published by the University of Minnesota, eating fatty foods as frequently as twice per week increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Barnes et al., 2016). The same study also indicated that eating fast food also contribute to a 20% increase in the risk of death by coronary heart disease (Barnes et al., 2016). From my perspective, fast foods posse’s similar health risks such as alcohol and tobacco, and as a result, their advertising should be banned.
Advertising pharmaceutical products should be banned because of their potential to bring false or misleading claims, according to Campbell, Martin & Fabos (2014). This is because most of the television ads for pharmaceutical products do not disclose potential health damages that may be attributed to their usage, and this exposes the users to numerous health complications. In addition to this, studies indicate that consumers’ frequent exposure to pharmaceutical products and prescriptions is a leading contributor to the current increase in health costs. In another study, pharmaceutical promotional campaigns have been proved to persuade consumers into seeking unnecessary medication, and this subjects the general public to great danger. For instance, an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) survey discovered that 65% of medical practitioners believed that pharmaceutical advertisements misguide patients on the relative health risks and benefits of medicinal prescriptions (Lewis, 2003). The same study also discovered that about 75% of pharmaceutical ads convince patients into believing that a drug works better than it does (Lewis, 2003). Such misinformation can contribute to bad choices and consequently cause severe health complication or death. To completely overcome negative health implication related to the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, fast foods, and pharmaceutical productions, all promotional campaigns related to these products should be banned.
References
Barnes, T. L., French, S. A., Mitchell, N. R., & Wolfson, J. (2016). Fast-food consumption, diet quality and body weight: cross-sectional and prospective associations in a community sample of working adults. Public health nutrition, 19(5), 885-892.
Campbell, R., Martin, C., & Fabos, B. (2014). Media & culture: Mass communication in a digital age. Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Chou, S. Y., Rashad, I., & Grossman, M. (2008). Fast-food restaurant advertising on television and its influence on childhood obesity. The Journal of Law and Economics, 51(4), 599-618.
Dubois, P., Griffith, R., & O’Connell, M. (2018). The effects of banning advertising in junk food markets. The Review of Economic Studies, 85(1), 396-436.
Gortmaker, S. L., Swinburn, B. A., Levy, D., Carter, R., Mabry, P. L., Finegood, D. T., … & Moodie, M. L. (2011). Changing the future of obesity: science, policy, and action. The Lancet, 378(9793), 838-847.
Hales, C. M., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Ogden, C. L. (2020). Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity among adults: the United States, 2017–2018.
Henry, T. A. (2018). Adult obesity rates rise in 6 states, exceed 35% in 7. American Medical Association, November 26.
Lewis, C. (2003). The impact of direct-to-consumer advertising. FDA consumer, 37(2), 9-9.