It’s often said that those who don’t drink shouldn’t
start. For those that do, they should
drink in moderation. Some may tell you
how easy it is to become hooked on booze.
Alcoholism is addictive and may cause lives to end tragically. TV viewers have witnessed the demise of some
celebrities, politicians, rock stars, actors, and actresses to addiction. Even if someone survives, alcoholism can
still lead to impairment of the senses, violence, suicides, and criminal
activities. Stonewall Jackson (1824–1863), a Confederate
General during the American Civil War, declared, “I am more afraid of alcohol
than of all the bullets of the enemy.” Jackson
was convinced that alcohol was deadly to the mind, body and spirit.
Coverage of Alcoholism
The coverage of alcoholism in media spanned a wide range of
concerns:
• Debates about alcohol advertisements
• The presence of a number of liquor
advertisements’ billboards in poor neighborhoods
• Reports focusing on the positive and
negative attributes of life expectancy
• Comments on drinking by military
servicemen in U.S. clubs
• Debates on the legal drinking age
• Results on the relative success of
self-regulation by the alcohol industry
Bill Gates (b. 1955), a business magnate and philanthropist
observed, “I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has
profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they
can achieve the kind of freedoms that they’re interested in.” Mass media is such a tool with that power. For Christians they continue to believe their
bodies are holy temples protected by God.
It’s always the goal of keeping their physical temples pure, clean, and
undefiled from alcohol and drugs. Samuel
Johnson (1709–1784),
an English writer and lexicographer declared, “Promise, large promise, is the
soul of an advertisement.” This calls
for discerning minds to embrace those ads which build up the body of Christ. It therefore becomes the responsibilities of
Christians to select what’s best and uplifting from the advertising world, and
persuading others to do the same.
The Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol has caused numerous problems in the lives of
individuals. Some however were able to
have their addiction treated, while others were unable to do so. Writers have described the impact of alcohol
abuse on the American economy. A brand
of liquor was even named after the renowned Indian chief Oglala Sioux but
several states banned this drink.
Until it was prohibited, liquor advertisement had become a
hot topic on TV. Driving while drunk
became an issue, and in 1998 The New York Times reported the Senate’s
resistance to allow the liquor industry, and restaurants to establish a uniform
national standard for driving.
There was a time when colleges played down the use of alcohol
in the lives of students. This resulted
in a number of alcohol-related deaths on campuses. To help this situation, first year college
students were encouraged to live in alcohol-free housing, participate in
booze-free events, and there was a ban on liquor at rush events in fraternities
and sororities. Afterwards several
liquor marketers were willing to put statements on bottles attesting to the
potential benefits of drinking in moderation that met with the approval of the
United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Tom Scholz (b. 1947), a rock musician and engineer explained,
“Higher Power was the result of a personal experience: a friend of mine who
went through the process of addiction and recovery. It’s a very tough thing - very easy to become
addicted and very, very hard to become a recovering addict.” Scholz remarks shone a light on how serious
addiction could be, and how difficult it was to beat this depressing
habit.
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