The alcoholic-beverage industries assert that governmental bodies have concluded that advertising has insignificant, if any, effects on alcohol consumption and abuse. Here are two of their common arguments that do not tell the whole story behind hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising expenditures.

Industry Assertion:

The Federal Trade Commission (1985) found "no reliable basis to conclude that alcohol advertising significantly affects consumption, let alone abuse."

Current FTC Position on the Effect of Alcohol Advertising:

"In 1985, the Commission staff conducted an analysis of the existing literature on the quantitative effects of alcohol advertising on consumption and abuse. Based on the staff's finding, the Commission found insufficient evidence to justify initiating an industry-wide rulemaking to consider banning or otherwise restricting alcohol advertising. This staff recommendation has been cited by some as proof that banning all alcohol beverage advertising, or taking other intermediate steps, would not diminish the abuse of alcohol."

"The Commission believes that the evidence is inconclusive on the issue of the linkage between alcohol advertising and consumption. There are studies that appear to support either position. This inconclusiveness of the studies, however, does not prove that no relationship exists. Rather, the question is whether econometric and economic studies can establish the advertising effects on consumption. It appears that the research methodology by itself may simply be incapable of accurately measuring the relationship."

Janet D. Steiger, Chairman, Federal Trade
Commission before the House
Subcommittee on Transportation and
Hazardous Materials, Committee on Energy
and Commerce, July 18, 1990.

Industry Assertion:

The Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that "research has yet to document a strong relationship between alcohol advertising and alcohol consumption."

Conclusions From The Effects of the Mass Media on the Use and Abuse of Alcohol, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Monograph 28, 1995:

[T]he preponderance of the evidence indicates that alcohol advertising stimulates higher consumption of alcohol by both adults and adolescents... It appears to be a contributing factor that increases drinking to a modest degree rather than being a major determinant. (Dr. Charles Atkins, Department of Communications, Michigan State University, p.281)

[T]here is sufficient evidence to say that alcohol advertising is likely to be a contributing factor to overall consumption and other alcohol-related problems in the long-term. (Dr. Sally Casswell, Alcohol and Public Health Research Unit, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, p.282)

[A]lcohol advertising can influence children, particularly their beliefs about alcohol and, indirectly, their intentions to drink as adults. (Dr. Joel Grube, Prevention Research Center, p.288)

[I]f research were designed to take account of what the advertiser is trying to do and if it examined the relationship between the specific structure of the message and the individual or group for whom that message is targeted, investigators probably would find "whopping effects." (Dr. Esther Thorson, School of Journalism, University of Missouri, p.282).