Young people ignore alcohol campaigns

I think campaigns like this are never as effective as the campaigners would like, but are also always more effective than the intended audience will admit. There's something to be said for repetition. There's something to be said for repetition.

young people ignore everything

(unless the videostill is of boobs)

I'm always too drunk to understand what's going on in them.

Damn cheap cider really screws with your vision...

no way people are ignoring lame people telling them not to have fun.

surprising

The government shouldn't be putting any tax dollars toward this. The government shouldn't take my money only to spend it on propaganda telling me what I should or shouldn't do.

I think this is going to be a problem as long as there is alcohol in the world. I don't criticize the government at all. As an 18 year old I think we tend to ignore these campaigns because the government is too far away from us. A teen doesn't watch an ad made by the government and relate to it or take it very deep to heart. The campaigns need to be closer to home for us to have a bigger impact I'd say.
When you go to school with someone for your middle and high school years and something happens to them related to drinking, that's when you realize the terrible side of going out and getting drunk on the weekends. It's bad, but in order to learn, something has to happen to those you know and those who are close to you.

I think personally that it is a complete waste of time to do any sort of ad aimed at kids. They could however, aim ads at parents. Parents have a lot more sway over their kids than an ad ever could. Thats how it should be anyway, there are a lot of bad parents out there. But there are also many good ones who may not realize the importance of talking to their kids about this issue at an early age.

If people really wanted to solve underaged drinking problems they should punish the kids parents along with the kid. Than maybe things would change.

I also think the age should be dropped to 18. I don't see how its really fair to punish someone who is 20 for drinking. If they are not mature enough then they won't be mature enough when they are 21.

Also I belive that the anti drug/drinking ads are just a way for certain groups to push what they belive is to be right onto other people. Instead of giving them good information so the young people can make their own informed decisions.

Had a response or two and while I am sorry to continue ad nauseum, I would simply add that the scope of suffering alcohol causes around the world in a SINGLE DAY is unimaginable to most people. Just the number of people who die in alcohol-related traffic accidents around the world in one day is staggering -- and so many of the victims were in the vehicle struck by the drunk driver! Add to that all of the babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Then add the literally MILLIONS of children abused every day by a drunken father, step-father, Mom's new boyfriend or even Mom herself. Sorry -- but personally I find the ads almost ridiculously TAME compared to reality. No, you aren't struck dead the first time you drink (well, actually, there are a FEW unlucky souls who die in car crashes during their first drunk, but I agree the number is tiny). But if one really and truly thinks about all of the stupid and awful decisions and errors of judgment that are made just in one person's life as a result of intoxication, one can be overwhelmed with sadness at what that one person's life might have been. So as clumsy and heavy-handed as the governmen't ads might be, I applaud them for trying. I just wish more adults would be honest with kids about the REAL horror stories we all know to be true about alcohol and alcohol abuse instead of treating intoxication like some kind of rite of passage or "acceptable way to blow off steam.". Out of the 20 members of my high school graduating class that have died in the years since, more than half of the deaths were related in some way to alcohol. Yet when I tell people that, nobody bats an eyelash! They have no doubt I am telling the truth, but for some reason because we are talking about alcohol those numbers are either acceptable or at least expected. But if I substituted the word "heroin" or "AIDS" for "alcohol" people would be horrified. What is this bizarre exception that has been created for the the world's deadliest and most dangerous drug? I just don't understand it -- and I REFUSE to accept it!

cztheday

Over-saturating everything with anti-drug and anti-alcohol campaigns leads kids to think everyone really is doing it, why else would these organizations be working so hard to stop it. It's working in the opposite direction. It appears to be a wide spread thing not to mention an easily available thing, so why not try it once. When the kids do try it and realize god didn't strike them down, their parents didn't find out, and they had a damn good time suddenly you realize the ads are bullshit. There has to be a better way.

Attend a few AA meetings. Most of the people there attend 5-7 times per week, week after week, year after year. They are THAT afraid of drinking even a single drink again and where that drink might lead them. Then consider that even the tiniest communities have at least one AA group -- large cites have hundreds. All over the world. Listen to their stories of embarassment, illness, horror. Do that math on that kind of past suffering and that kind of present and future desperation to not allow the suffering to begin again. After all of that we can start talking about all the completely innocent children and adults who have been injured, raped or killed due to alcohol. This is by FAR and away the most serious drug abuse problem on the planet. If you are a regular social drinker and none of these things have happened to you yet, congratulations -- but the odds WILL catch up to you sooner or later. It works like Vegas and booze is The House.

of course they ignore that bullshit. A) the ads are way off base. the people who come up with them are clearly way out of touch with the youth. and B) getting piss wasted is really really fun.

Anyone who has come home and gotten sick will relate. Or ruined their favorite shirt, skirt, while out drinking etc. Or had sex with someone they didn't even like.. etc.

It's talking about moderation.
The IQ and previous experiences of the person watching this add alot to the factor of if THIS will work on an individual or not..

I was like yeah.. not so smart to get trashed. (damn.)

Amusing ad.

Lowering the legal age to drink could possibly be a way to curb binge drinking, because kids wouldn't have to do it behind closed doors. But that's been said a million times already.

The lies the government spreads to create paranoia definately are unearthed upon first use. In my opinion alcohol is the gateway drug. Rarely do you here of anyone trying pot before drinking. Legalizing weed would free up so much money and jail space. I completely agree judyroo!

samonster34 speaks the truth

The problem starts with the lies

When a young person realizes that a joint or beer did not do what the government said, they might wonder what else was lied about.

Then starts the serious problems.

A child's life experiences & education begins at home by the parent(s). Blaming the media, movies, TV, video games, school systems or those questionable friends is passing the buck. You can't blame the world. If you're gonna have kids, it's your responsibility to raise them to be responsible adults by setting positive goals & realistic expectations. Set aside that invaluable quality time before misinformed, impressionable minds have already acquired unhealthy habits. Today's parenting basically sucks. Where else does the sense of entitlement come from by today’s youths?

Pretty valid point. Although I believe in the fact that low driving age equals less transportation responsibilities for parents, not every child is ready at 16. I do think it would be cool if bars were somehow required to have an on duty free ride option for people to get them home safe, although professional cabbies may scoff at this.

Legal drinking age should be lowered. Legal driving age should be raised. Statistics are pretty clear that young drivers are involved in a much higher percentage of fatal and non fatal accidents.

I'm 18 and I drink, but I don't drink to get drunk, I hate being drunk, just a little buzz is fine. I drink probably every other weekend, and it's in the presence of my family. I don't have a problem with alcohol, I know when to stop, and I know when not to do it all. I think we should lower the drinking age to 18; if you're old enough to die in combat, you should be old enough to drink.

I'm from Wisconsin, where drinking is both a source of pride and a source of problems. We drink (and abuse) alcohol more than any other state (check out this article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/31237904.html).

While the drinking age is 21 in Wisconsin, we do have a law that says that people are allowed to consume alcohol at a bar or restaurant if they are accompanied by their parents. Not all establishments abide by this, but it is meant to encourage the kind of "parental oversight" that people have been talking about here. Has it worked? Not particularly.

It seems to me though that the drinking age is of secondary importance to educating young people about the responsible use of alcohol, and the dangers of over-consumption.

why do these ads even exist? it seems like pushing ones' morality on others...

it's not like we put other laws on billboards and in tv advertisements, only drinking and drugs. let families make their own decisions on how they run their households and educate their children.

Look, I think time has proven that moving the drinking age to 21 has not solved anything. Sure, there are fewer drunk driving deaths, but the deaths from binge drinking have skyrocketed.

I had my first beer when I was in 6th grade, at dinner, with my father. The responsibility rests on the parents to teach their kids how to learn their limits, make smart decisions, and not drink to excess every time they drink.

I don't see how anyone can argue against moving the drinking age back to 18. If you are mentally mature enough to serve in the military, you are old enough to drink. Period. Either smoking, voting, serving, and drinking all need to be at 18, or all at 21, having them mixed doesn't make any sense.

I think exposing children to alcohol and letting them know about it at a young age does help like judyroo was saying, it's just like the preachers kids are stereotypically sexually wild, the same rule applies.

That commercial was off the hook! As always kennymotown made a valid point, with the fact that 40 years ago doctors were less informed about alcohol. My mother was told by her doc that if a glass or two of wine helped calm her during pregnancy it was ok. I don't blame her for the alcohol related issues I have incurred during my 40 years, but I have struggled most of my life. If asked I would tell someone that between two, marijuana was a much safer choice than drinking, although it is still illegal unfortunately. I wasn't taught to be pro drug choice, but after seeing the affects of alcohol from long term users, including death, it is as safe as cigarettes.

Personally, I think the solution has to come from what kids are really most influenced by; the behavior of their parents. I really do believe that if children are introduced to alcohol at a younger age, and are allowed to drink it (not spirits) with dinner once or twice a week from the age of say 14 or 15 then it would be seen as a far less "cool" thing to do amongst teenagers. It would no longer be rebellious to get drink behind one's parents' backs. It would no longer be a new thing to try out with one's friends. Alcohol's image would change. People would appreciate it for the fact that it can make one feel merry at times, but feel no need to drink excessively and get wasted. Of course, some people do feel the need to get off their face and lose touch with reality, but that's all down the pressures of our modern society, and is a completely separate discussion...

I think more education and awareness of the potential harm caused by alcohol abuse can't hurt, but the real emphasis should not be on criminalising underage drinking to the extent that they do here in the US. If kids learn about moderation and drinking to enjoy the flavor of what they are drinking, perhaps the results will be more effective than merely saying "don' do that! Or else!"
Thoughts?

Yes! Well, at least in England. Most European countries have a huge underage drinking problem. I'm afraid you've been misinformed. There is no country without a drinking age. I am not sure specifically about different countries, but I know that in England the law is 18 and in many European countries it is 16 or 14. There is far less of a problem in the countries where the age is 14.
European teens also glorify alcohol to a very extreme extent. I do not believe that lowering the age to 18 in America will help, it will simply make underage drinking start three years earlier.

They could show people drinking and having a good time and make one person who over does it look like a fool. You can drink underage and be responsible and have fun. Lord knows I never get wasted like that. I don't know any of my friends to do that either.

Tell the truth mr government, we might listen.

Is there an underage drinking problem in Europe?

I've been told that there either no age for drinking in Europe, or that it starts at 16. If that's the case, is teen drinking a problem? It seems that alcohol is really downplayed in Europe and people there don't see it as "cool" or a big deal - it's simply a part of the culture. Yet in America it is glorified by teens.

Should the drinking age be lowered to 18 so alcohol is seen as less of a taboo? Is that even possible in the near future?

I dont think there is a way for the government to make these ads appeal to the youth, if it's a government backed health warning, people are going to ignore it and ridicule it, that's just the way we deal with things.

Although I don't agree with other countries which allow drinking at younger ages, I also don't totally agree with alcohol campaigns either. I feel as though parents who are honest with their kids and actually talk with them about whether or not they want to drink makes young people more comfortable with the subject.
Personally, I abstain completely from the use of alcohol because I see the enormous dangers of its effects on everyone my age and older. This probably would not have happened if my parents had not once been more open with me about substance use.
I feel as though parental control is the biggest influence on children, but they often leave the biggest talks that they should be having with their kids to the schools and the government.

I think the whole outlook on alcohol needs to be revamped. It's not working spectacularly well. Kids automatically want things that they're told they can't have. Simple math.

Young people old people, it does not matter to the ignorance of being educated about the harm alcohol does to your body when used in excess. I think young people have a better chance to get it right with all the information available these days as compared to 40 years ago. Hell pregnant women didn't know about the bad things that could happen from drinking alcohol and smoking then.