Sociological Approach to Reducing Alcoholism Research Paper

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Moreover, even content-based restriction would be irrelevant to the competitive strength of market competitors, since they would apply across the board and to all equally. The only likely negative effect on manufacturers of alcohol products is precisely the objective that increased regulation of the content of alcohol product advertising would hope to achieve: namely, reducing the instances of new users responding to advertising and reducing the ability of manufacturers to drive consumer behavior through deliberate psychological manipulation.

In principle, the most appropriate distinction would be between content that presents specific objective attributes of the product (i.e. taste, quality, versatility, company reputation, etc.) and content that is expressly designed to exploit known psychological and social tendencies conducive to increasing alcohol consumption. In practice, alcohol product advertising copy that promoted flavor and quality, (for example), would be permitted; conversely, advertising copy that exploited the psychological influence of sex appeal, social popularity, or any other desirable attribute or connection to personal identity or, (especially), association with media celebrities or sports franchises (among other things) would be prohibited. Ideally, these restrictions would reduce the first-use of alcohol and would reduce some of the many powerful social influences that increase alcohol abuse in society.

Changes in Business Culture and Educational Culture

In addition to the proposed changes to the manner in which the government regulates alcohol product promotion and advertisement, another approach to reducing alcoholism in society would be the promotion of fundamental changes to elements of business social culture in many fields and to the prominence of alcohol on American college campuses (Hajema, Knobbed, & Drop, 1999).

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Admittedly, both of those goals would be much more difficult to achieve than the proposed changes to advertising regulation because they would depend on much more subtle (and mainly voluntary) compliance rather than government regulation.

However, the types of considerations would be to reduce the extent to which alcohol consumption (in non-work hours but in work-related settings and contexts) is promoted and the manner in which existing laws about alcohol consumption by college students are not enforced. Specifically, businesses in which alcohol consumption typically plays a large role should be encouraged (even through incentives such as tax rebates) for voluntarily participating in alcoholism reduction programs. Similarly, college institutions could begin enforcing alcoholism prevention policies, such as by prohibiting any use of alcohol by matriculated students anywhere whether on or off campus and in conjunction with applicable penal statutes. There is no reason that universal requirements for the continued good standing of college students should not include strict compliance to state law in every state. That is also well within the interests of the public.

Conclusion

Among other things, commercial advertising promotes alcohol in ways that exacerbate any natural tendencies toward alcoholism, as does the prominent role played by alcohol on American college campuses, largely without regard for the fact that more than half of all college students cannot consume alcohol legally in any state. Ultimately, and from the perspective of designing maximally effective solutions to alcoholism in society, addressing those kinds of influences could be equally important to determining exactly what respective role is played by biology or rational choice......

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