Introduction
Each year, very many young people between the ages of 15 and 29, die from alcohol-related causes. Direct or indirect indulgence in alcohol consumption by young people, poses a great threat to their lives. Of all deaths related to alcohol, about 10% are within that age group. It is with the sprout of this and much more, that has led to the emphasis on alcohol marketing regulations (Anderson and Ben 10).
Marketing regulations on alcohol provides that merchandising be a complete description of a particular commodity, giving its benefits as well as its negative effects upon usage. This helps in protecting the consumers’ health. Consumers, knowing the short-term and long-term effects of alcohol, such as blindness, liver cirrhosis, cancer, and mental damage, would avoid consumption of alcohol.
Secondly, marketing regulations have helped reduce drug abuse among the youth, and as such, controlling the number of young people dying as a result of alcohol consumption. This has been achieved by ensuring that sellers, in advertising their products, clearly define their target group. The target group restrictions aid in minimizing over-exposure of alcohol to vulnerable targets, such as the youth and children (Aaker 12).
Consumers in the past have been victims of buying products that are not up to standards, which pose a great risk to the health of consumers. Consumers are usually attracted to them as a result of attractive advertisements made by sellers, especially through the media. In curbing this, marketing regulatory bodies have ensured that before any alcoholic product goes to the market; it is checked and approved by the relevant authorities to be appropriate for consumption. Consumers are therefore protected from consuming illegal products.
Discussion
Every year, many lives are lost in fatal road accidents. The highest numbers of these accidents are as a result of drivers drinking and afterward driving. Marketing regulatory bodies in response to the alarming rate of deaths have come up with programs, intended to sensitize people about the effects of alcohol, such as blurred vision and mental damage, which in many cases, causes drivers to lose control, leading to accidents occurrence.
Also, policies, including random breath testing and administrative license suspension, have helped reduce disability and premature deaths greatly (Adam, David and Christopher 10). These policies were introduced, after cases of disability and premature deaths increased significantly. This presented a big challenge to the government, hence prompting the introduction of the policies aimed at reducing these disabilities and premature death cases. Every government has a ministry or a department, which is concerned with health issues, and, in most cases, the ministry or department concerned with health is the one, which drafts such policies, which are aimed at ensuring that the nation’s citizens are healthy.
Advertisements are linked to creating a positive attitude towards alcoholic products. This usually changes consumers’ perception about alcohol, and tend to view alcohol as being useful to the body. Characters portrayed in the advertisements are often characters with esteemed personalities in society and leading role models. Consumers watching such characters and especially young people are enticed to engage in consuming alcohol, with a view of becoming more like their role models. Alcohol marketing regulations have effectively enhanced the reduction of harm resulting from the consumption of alcohol by restricting the capacity and content of information used in advertisements (Academy of Medical Sciences 13).
Regulations such as the imposition of high taxes on alcohol and alcohol related products have also been introduced. This increases the cost of its production, and suppliers are forced to increase the prices of their products. Consequently, the supply in the market reduces, hence a reduction in the dangers associated with its consumption. The increased tax also helps curb cases of illegal alcoholic products from being supplied to the market, due to the high cost of production.
Products made available in the market are thus proper for consumption, but at high rates, which helps prevent the young people from consuming alcohol, since they can barely afford. Some countries increase the taxes levied on some products, such as alcohol, and lower that of other essential products, such as food products. This is done to discourage the youth and citizens in general, from consuming alcohol, and encourage them to consume essential food products, which help them in improving their health, instead of consuming alcohol, which can negatively affect them.
The availability of alcohol for longer periods gives consumers ample time to consume and thereby, increasing their risks of health disorders and even chances of death. To reduce harm imposed by alcohol, certain regulations have been put in place; limiting hours and days alcohol is sold. Also, they raise the minimum drinking age to reduce cases of youth indulgence in the consumption of alcohol. More policies, both social and economic, aimed at enhancing the healthy growth of children and the youth, have been introduced. These include limiting the places where alcohol is sold. This helps reduce the availability and access to alcohol, especially among children and the youth.
Media in as much as its commonly used to commercially advertise alcohol, it can also be used to portray safety measures, to curb harm caused by alcohol consumption. Besides, it can be used to educate the public about the risks and implications of alcohol consumption, through feature stories on television and magazine articles. Moreover, manufacturers of alcoholic products are required to provide warning labels on their products, such as “alcohol is harmful to expectant mothers”.
This helps create awareness to consumers, on the implication of alcohol to their health. For instance, expectant mothers consuming alcohol, increase the risk of birth effects. The implications should be sufficiently provided, failure to which, the manufacturers are liable for any damages caused on the consumer, who used that specific product. More so, advertisements made must also provide for health messages. These regulations help in regulating the levels of harm, which may be caused by the consumption of a particular commodity.
In controlling initiation to alcohol consumption on the young people, family and community-based programs used as regulatory measures have proved effective. The programs are designed to sensitize parents and the community at large on the implications of exposure of children to alcohol and alcohol-related products. These programs have impulsively helped reduce indulgence in alcohol consumption by young people, as they have better role models.
School-based programs have immensely assisted in educating the youth on the impacts of following blindly advertisements made through the mass media. They are sensitized to the goals of the organizations that make such advertisements as being sore to widen their market share and, thus, increase the firm’s profits. These programs assist in lowering the numbers of youth consuming alcohol, and more so, prevent more youths from indulging in such activities.
Alcohol producing companies have in the recent past, actively engaged in sponsoring sporting activities. This is so far a very cheap method of advertising, as it increases awareness of the product more easily to a wider market than any other marketing strategy. However, it poses a great risk of attracting more people to consume alcohol, specifically young people. Marketing regulatory bodies have set up legislative measures of reducing alcohol consumption by regulating the sponsorship activities. The youths are more often than not, the greatest targets by marketing companies, as they are more vulnerable to falling for their incentives.
By rebranding, a product may appear more appealing, and at adolescence, the youth will be pressurized to go for such products. In protecting the youth from the consequences that may follow upon consumption of such alcoholic products, the marketing regulatory bodies should ban all promotions related to activities targeting the youth (Casswell 17).
Some alcoholic products are generally harmful for consumption and are usually produced in areas that are fairly out of reach by the government or any authority. To curb consumption of such products, the regulatory bodies may develop effective systems of surveillance in remote areas. Companies may also play a part in promoting the reduction of excessive consumption of alcohol by complying with company codes of marketing ethics, as well as initiating staff training on responsible marketing. Also, they may ensure compliance with the laid down alcohol marketing regulations, put in place by relevant bodies.
Consumers too are responsible for protecting themselves against harm, which may be caused by consuming alcohol. This they can achieve, by ensuring that they carefully read the instructions on beverage bottles. Besides, they should ensure that they adhere to rules laid down by the marketing regulatory bodies, such as consuming alcohol at only the stipulated time. Consumers of alcohol may, on the other hand, adopt self-regulating programs. This provides that one can control his or her regular consumption, without any outside compulsion. This method is usually difficult to come by, especially for addicts. However, the system has proved resourceful in controlling incidences of loss of lives.
Every government’s responsibility is to take care of its citizens and protect their social and economic welfare. Laying down strategies that ensure the sites of production or manufacturing firms adhere to health promotion regulations, such as enhancing cleanliness in their area of operation, would greatly enhance the social welfare of the people. Given reducing the rampant consumption of alcohol, films aired on televisions that greatly encourage alcohol consumption should be banned and be replaced with talk shows or programs, that seek to advise young people on the effects of alcohol consumption. Many young people result in consuming alcohol, with the view that their problems will be resolved and as such, the advice will be of great importance to them.
The laws on the packaging clearly define that commodities designed for human consumption should provide for both metric and non-metric units on the labels. This assists in giving the consumer adequate information before consuming the product, and more so, protecting them against the consumption of fake commodities. Community mobilization, on the other hand, is an effective measure in curbing illegal consumption of alcohol, which is below the appropriate standard of measure, such as illicit brews. Sensitization on the harm caused to human health, both to the consumer and indirectly to the non-consumer, would help community members stand up against manipulation by brewers of such illegal brews. They can facilitate the growth of their social welfare with the support of the regulatory bodies.
The marketing regulation body on alcohol is charged with the responsibility of setting prices for alcohol and alcoholic products. They set a minimum value for which the products are to be sold. This helps reduce the overflow of alcoholic products in the market, which would increase demand for consumption. It also helps in discouraging entry into the sale of the alcohol business. Marketing regulations on alcohol have helped reduce the harm associated with alcohol. The body has ensured that the places of sale of alcohol, such as restaurants and bars, are situated in areas where public means of transport are readily available and accessible with much ease. This has helped reduce road accidents greatly and instances of disability.
Injuries derived from fights, which are as a result of aggressiveness by drunkards, are greatly attributed to the bar-room environment. The marketing regulation body has effectively reduced violence by arranging for training programs for bar-room staff.
The staff is imparted with effective communication and intervention skills. They also set up policies, regulating the management of the bar-rooms. This greatly creates a serene environment, reducing instances of violence appraisal (Cassarett & John 20). Marketing regulation bodies, also ensure that the beverage is packaged in containers, which would impose fewer risks on the consumers. In the past, consumers have suffered from injuries, from broken glasses, with others succumbing to death from the same. The use of non-conventional glass would greatly reduce instances of such injuries.
Social norms and regulations, assist in the regulation of behavior among individuals. Society norms are usually passed on from one generation to the other. As such, if in a particular setting, children are exposed to alcohol, they grow up to believe it is essential and proper for consumption. However, if inculcated in them that alcohol is harmful for consumption, and this is passed to other generations, harm caused by consumption of alcohol is reduced (Fowkes 34).
Peer influence poses a risk among young people, as they tend to follow in the steps of others within their age group. They rely heavily on observation of the behavior of others. For instance, they can derive from films the habit of taking alcohol, believing that what the youths from the films do is right. In curbing such behavior, regulations are put in place, such that films are aired at times when the youth are not present.
Businesses without a permit to operate or make sales of alcohol are not in a position to carry on business. This helps curb instances of sale to underage buyers. Besides, it helps to ensure that alcohol sellers do not avoid or evade paying taxes. Licensing, more so, helps in controlling standards of premises, and thus reducing the sale of alcohol in areas perceived to brew illegal alcohol (Institute of Alcohol Studies 34). The government, in the protection of its people, may own alcohol outlet sale premises. This helps reduce alcohol consumption and the impacts of such. It is also able to regulate the alcohol market, to reduce overflow into the market, as well as ensure laid down regulations are adhered to.
Regulations such as giving specifications on drink sizes, and not allowing for discounts on alcoholic drinks for on-premise buyers, may help reduce alcohol consumption. Restrictions on time and accessibility of alcohol, on the other hand, should be enforced for off-premise buyers. Enforcement of the alcohol marketing regulations, with added support from parents and the community at large, will effectively help reduce the sale of alcohol to minors, who are the most vulnerable people.
The youth should be assisted in directing their energies in more productive activities, such as co-curriculum activities, to lower their concentration on indulging in alcohol consumption. In absence of the alcohol marketing regulations, many lives will continuously be lost to accidents resulting from drunken drivers. Besides, many people will suffer from alcohol-related diseases, such as cardiovascular attacks, respiratory problems, and cancer, among others, and may succumb to any of them.
The youth make up the biggest percentage of the reproductive sector of the economy of a country. Failure to adhere to the alcohol marketing regulations could cost a country a fortune as a result of the loss of the youth to alcohol. This would deter the country’s economy, leading to economic instability and an overall lack of growth. Health is key to the social welfare of people. Without regulations on alcohol marketing, harmful products would be introduced into the market at the expense of the consumer’s health. Such products that are not up to standards, pose a great threat to the health of consumers, and may cause adverse effects, such as blindness.
The government is charged with the responsibility of providing adequate services, in terms of proper health services and good infrastructure, among others. To do so, it requires adequate revenue. It, therefore, through monetary and fiscal policies, charges higher taxes on commodities that it wants to discourage their consumption, such as alcohol, for the benefit of the people. It charges less tax on commodities it is encouraging to be consumed and acquires revenue used in the provision of services (Melton 40).
Also, the alcohol marketing regulations have ensured that firms are liable for damages caused to consumers of their products if they failed to provide disclaimers, as well as an outline on labels, and the effects of consumption of the particular commodity. In absence of those regulations, consumers would be at great risks, of innocently suffering from the effects of those commodities (Jernigan 37).
Conclusion
In conclusion, advertisements are an essential tool for businesses and firms, as they help increase their market share as well as retain existing customers. Strong relationships created in the process help the sellers earn trust from the consumers. Consumers, on the other hand, earn confidence in the products they choose to consume, following the advertisements. However, it is important to note that poor planning by sellers on marketing strategies may cost them a fortune.
This may be as a result of failure to adhere to the marketing regulations laid down, causing heavy damages to the consumer. The firms will lose the client’s trust, and their profits will decline. A firm’s priority should be safeguarding the consumer’s interests. In regards to this, alcohol marketing regulations should be adhered to in ensuring that the consumer is protected from harm relating to alcohol consumption.
Works Cited
Aaker, David. Building Strong Brands. New York: The Free Press, 2002. Print.
Academy of Medical Sciences. “Calling Time.” The Nations Drinking 4.3 (2004): 29-31.
Adam, Taghreed, David, Evans, and Christopher Murray. “Econometric Calculation.” Econometric Estimation 5.2 (2003): 35-38.
Anderson, Peter, and Ben Baumbery. Alcohol in Europe: A Public Health Perspective. London: Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2006. Print.
Cassarett, Lewis, & John Doull. “Toxicology.” The Basic Science of Poisons 3.2 (1986): 648–653.
Casswell, Sally. Alcohol Brands in Young People’s Everyday Lives: New Developments in Marketing. Wellington: Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research Evaluation, 2003. Print.
Fowkes, Steven. “Living with alcohol”. Smart Drug 5.2 (1996): 3-7.
Institute of Alcohol Studies. Alcohol in Europe: A Public Health Perspective. London: Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2006. Print.
Jernigan, David. The Global Alcohol Industry. New York: Society for the Study of Addiction, 2008. Print.
Melton, Lisa. “What’s your poison.” New Scientist 4.2 (2007): 4-8.