Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of
premature death in the U.S. and responsible for one in every 10 deaths. The
statistics that describe the ways in which we drink ourselves to death are
staggering. A study published in the
journal Preventing Chronic Disease found that nearly 70% of deaths due
to excessive drinking involved working-age adults. The study also found that
about 5% of the deaths involved people younger than age 21.  Moreover, excessive alcohol use shortened the
lives of those who died by about 30 years. Yes, 30 years.

One strong factor that reinforces the popular culture surrounding
drinking is the glamour of advertising. Researchers at the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined alcohol-advertising
placements to determine whether the alcohol industry had kept its word to
refrain from advertising targeting young people. This included television
programs for which more than 30% of the viewing audience is likely to be
younger than 21 years, the legal drinking age in every state.

The study found that alcohol related advertising increased
by 71% in the last decade; this is largely attributed to exposure on cable
television. That increase coincided with a reported upsurge of alcohol consumption
by high school students. In conclusion, the study
suggested that if the National Research Council/Institute of Medicine’s proposed
threshold of 15% exposure to advertising was implemented, young viewers would
see 54% fewer alcohol ads and society would see a correlating decrease in
alcohol related deaths.

What about those “drink responsibly” admonitions on so many
commercials? Federal regulations do not require responsibility statements in alcohol
advertising. The alcohol industry's voluntary codes for marketing and promotion
emphasize responsibility, but they provide no definition for responsible drinking.
So when you see the admonition to “drink responsibly” at the end of an
alcohol-related television commercial, there is no idea given as to exactly
what that may mean, particularly to someone under the legal drinking age.

David Jernigan, PhD, director of the Center on Alcohol
Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
said:

"The contradiction
between appearing to promote responsible drinking and the actual use of 'drink
responsibly' messages to reinforce product promotion suggests that these
messages can be deceptive and misleading."

Youth who start drinking before age 15 years are five times
more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who
begin drinking at or after age 21 years according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.

Alcohol advertising influences many people across a wide
range of demographics. Regardless of the warning labels on alcohol containers,
community prevention programs and general public knowledge of the risks of
excessive alcohol consumption, people continue to drink in health-damaging ways.
Drinking in public, at sporting events, in parks, during celebrations, etc., is
firmly embedded in society as acceptable behavior. At the same time, the large
number of alcohol related deaths among all age groups is a concern, especially
when this drinking behavior is generally developed while individuals are
underage.

Alcohol use is a major public health problem that can lead
to social, financial, and health related setbacks and premature death. Talk to
health care professional if you or someone close to you is struggling with
excessive alcohol consumption.

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1810389&resultClick=3

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0293.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/features/alcohol-deaths/