Frank Ward has lived in Sweden for decades. He has seen the the Swedish experience with alcohol up close. Here he reflects on the changes he has witnessed over time.1 He points out that “During my lifetime I have followed one nation’s progress from near-prohibition to a more tolerant approach. When I arrived in Stockholm in …
Are alcohol ads and underage drinking related? Can reducing or preventing alcohol ads on TV reduce underage drinking? Simple solutions to complex issues are always temping. But news reports can mislead if they don’t accurately report research findings. Misleading Reporting In reporting the findings of a study1 on the subject, the New York Times failed to …
Critics of alcohol ads often argue that it’s normalizing alcohol drinking. So what’s wrong with normalizing drinking? There’s nothing at all wrong with normalizing alcohol unless a person’s goal is eliminating it. The hatchet-wielding Carrie Nation would have opposed normalizing drinking. The Prohibition Party (yes, it still exists) would oppose it. The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) …
Dirty Bastard beer is banned in Alabama but Fat Bastard wine isn’t. That makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? The argument of the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board is simple. The word “bastard” is a profanity. And the ABC bans profanity from alcoholic beverage labels. Alabama officials not only permit the sale of Fat Bastard …
Are alcohol ads the problem leading to alcohol abuse? Dr. Levy explains why they are not. by Robert A. Levy, J.D., Ph.D. The state tobacco lawsuits had an enduring and corrupting effect on the rule of law. The legal travesty du jour involves yet another “sin” industry. This time the trial lawyers are hounding the …
What are the effects of alcohol advertising? Does alcohol advertising cause people to begin drinkng or to drink more? Could it cause alcohol abuse? These important questions need answers. And we need research evidence instead of opinions or gut feelings. So, alcohol advertising causes young people to begin drinking. It increases alcohol consumption. And that …
Alcohol abuse: who’s to blame? The answer to the question of who’s to blame for alcohol abuse is important. That’s because it suggests how to reduce such abuse. Wayne Wheeler Prohibition leader Wayne Wheeler had an uncle who repeatedly got himself drunk at local saloons. Wheeler tellingly observed “I could never understand why the saloons …
Hypnosis has existed since ancient times. And also in many ancient countries. They included Sumeria, Persia, China, India, Egypt, Greece, and the Roman empire. The Egyptians and Greeks also used hypnotherapy. However, there is no evidence that they used hypnosis for alcoholism. Overview I. Hypnosis for Alcoholism II. Myths …
Many people think alcohol ads cause increased alcohol drinking. Why else, they argue, would alcohol companies spend so much money on ads? Good question. Companies don’t care about overall alcohol consumption. They only care about their own sales. Effective ads can increase a company’s share of the market. So each company wants to spend more …
