Stop Drinking Alcohol...An Issue of Mixed Messages
How can something as prevalent, accepted, and accessible in our society as drinking alcohol be so harmful, unhealthy, AND illegal when consumed at or slightly above moderate intake levels? The simple asking of this question immediately uncovers a number of issues, one of which is the mixed messages that exist in our society about drinking alcohol.
Alcohol has made its way over time out from just the taverns and bars from coast to coast. Once you also factor in the number of restaurants, sporting events, fairs and festivals, hotels, and night clubs, just to name a few, alcoholic beverages have become a typical part of everyday choices. Liquor stores and package shops are not the exclusive venues any longer for purchases. Now with a simple trip to the grocery store, or at a stop to get gas at the local convenience store, an adult can make a legal purchase of anything from cans to bottles, cases and in some locations even kegs of whatever alcoholic beverages they may want.
Alcohol exists in many places throughout our advertisements today and they all help to reinforce the concept that alcohol is both acceptable and "cool". These ideas combined with accessibility can be confusing. From glitzy and sophisticated magazine advertisements to some of our funniest, and most memorable television commercials, alcohol is advertised for no other purpose than to get the product sold. We look forward to our favorite band's tour that's sponsored by a liquor label, or watching during Super Bowl halftime to see which beer commercial makes us laugh the hardest, never thinking that the promotional product could be harmful. People we look up to such as professional athletes and movie stars who affiliate themselves with alcohol either by their actions or advertisements can also send the message that alcohol is "cool."
It becomes even more evident that alcohol has become a deep rooted aspect of our society looking at some of what we consider to be just a part of life. From religious rituals incorporating alcohol, cultural traditions encouraging the drinking of alcohol, special events and holidays that are associated with drinking alcohol, down to the use of alcohol in our food to enhance flavor, our lifestyle has slowly accepted the presence of alcohol as normal. These practices help to desensitize us to the negative side of alcohol use and instead send the message that drinking alcohol can help us to fit in to our society.
Alcohol Abuse and Drinking While Driving. If the prevalence, acceptability, and accessibility of alcohol represent the one side of the coin regarding the mixed messages in our society, then the dangerousness, unhealthiness, and illegality represents the other. Indeed, consider the numerous negative and harmful messages and statistics associated with alcohol abuse and drinking while driving that we have heard from the medical community, federal government, police, politicians, organizations such as MADD, and school and college administrators.
Mixed Messages and Their Consequences. When something like alcohol use is so intimately ingrained in the fabric of our society, it becomes extremely difficult to significantly alter its use and abuse in a comprehensive and beneficial manner. I assert that one of the consequences of the mixed messages about alcohol use and abuse in our society it that it becomes extremely difficult for many individuals, especially our youth, to realistically see the destructive, unhealthy, and sometimes fatal aspects of alcohol abuse.
Mixed messages have regrettably also been a part of our own judicial system in the way it has handled alcohol-related offenses. In the past, some repeat DUI offenders have continued to have their rights to the road receiving only a light sentence. Those committing crimes while under the influence, alcohol was seen as an explanation to their behavior.
Fortunately, some states are becoming more reality and accountability-based and are making it a felony when a person receives his or her 4th DUI within a ten-year period. In Minnesota, for instance, this sentence includes three years in prison and a fine of not less than $14,000.00.
Jail time itself is not the only solution to those with alcohol issues. Unless the underlying need for drinking is discovered and dealt with while being incarcerated, many will return to the same self destructive habits once they are released. With alcohol intervention and treatment in jail, the individual is in a stable and environment with a positive success rate. Those who have participated in a alcohol treatment program are more likely to return to society as a productive and responsible person, ending their drinking and driving and therefore avoiding becoming a repeat offender in the system.
While there are those who preach "responsible behavior", who defines what is considered to be responsible? One person might say that posting a sign warning that the road comes to an end is exhibiting "responsible behavior." The next person may say that a sign is simply not enough, and the road should be barricaded to prevent cars from traveling any further. This example is basically saying that a warning is not enough, we must put preventative measures in place to prevent dangerous effects.
So why if as a whole, we say we know of the dangerous consequences of alcohol do we as a society have such an acceptance of it in our lives? Considering the health hazards and dangers including death, we should practice "responsible behavior" at the next level. Warnings have not stopped alcohol usage, so we need to create other deterrents in addition to the ones currently in place. We as a society can choose not to glamorize alcohol, in turn making it less "cool." We can say no to advertisements and commercials promoting alcohol usage. The message can be sent out emphasizing and supporting a healthy and safe lifestyle free from the use of alcohol.
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