Nowadays, it is almost becoming impossible to pinpoint cigarette and alcohol advertisements on television. This is mainly attributed to the tight legal and regulatory frameworks put in place to control advertising of the substances.
But the alcohol industry has moved to outdoor advertising and is having a field day. It is almost, again, impossible not to finger a strategically placed billboard promoting an alcoholic drink in the highest human and vehicular traffic areas in urban areas. In a language understood by many, it is in outdoor advertising space that they are having a field day.
Advertisements are so entrenched in our lives that we constantly consume them without even realising it. They pop up in internet windows, are plastered across billboards and intrude on television shows every day.
Even social media, through artificial intelligence, is filled with advertisements that are personalised to respond to your interests and browsing habits. And with billboards, imagine the amount of time spent by children savouring the catchy graphics and other attendant subconscious messages being relayed.
It is scientifically proven that children’s attitudes around substance use are influenced very early by media portrayals of substance use. Media in this case includes conventional, online and outdoor advertising platforms.
Positive connotations formed at this young age may be strongly influencing early substance use with attendant increase in problematic use. Being aware of this widespread influence is an important first step to countering the ill effects associated with substance advertising.
The field of advertising is an interesting one and bluntly, modern-day advertising is not directed at enlightening consumers about products and services so they can make an informed decision on their purchases. Instead, advertising uses passionate appeals and influencing tactics to cause consumers to make an emotion-based decision on which item to buy, use and, in this case specifically, what type of drugs to take.
It is also critical to point out that some advertisers encourage the use of such drugs through their chosen means of visually presenting role models or idols. This is by way of music stars praising drug use habits, models who are heavy cigarettes smokers lighting sticks off others, movie stars hooked to alcohol or artists who compose melodious tunes praising marijuana use.
Some commercials contain hidden messages, especially those promoting alcohol consumption. They never really show anyone getting sick, feeling terrible or even making bad decisions after using their products. Instead, the focus is on people smiling and having fun in cool locations, surrounded by a slew of good-looking people.
Whether we realise it or not, advertisements can affect the way we think or perceive things and this becomes obvious in the most routine instances, from getting a tune stuck in your head to purchasing something you are not quite sure you needed.
Advertisements’ ability to insert themselves into our subconscious has caused some to question their impact on addiction. If even the most menial aspects of advertisements can impact behaviours, it is fair to consider their reach.
For those in recovery, substance use advertising can be one of those risky triggers because it is proven to make people start thinking about something that they have been trying to put out of their minds. While most of us can disregard and shut down announcements that are not exciting to us, the same cannot be said for those with addiction issues.
Everyone has a right to advertise their services and products in line with existing laws and following all appropriate responsibilities. However, there should also be mechanisms to provide for protection of people with addiction issues or those almost getting there. This could perhaps be achieved by putting in place measures to ensure such advertisers fund those initiatives.
Manager Corporate Communications - Nacada
