Alcoholic beverage manufacturers influence young people in two primary ways. First of all, the industry advertises in television programs, media, films, and printed media where the majority of viewers and readers are underage. Secondly, alcohol advertisements have substantial underage appeal. Young people are responsive to advertisements that portray drinking as fun and promise acceptance and popularity.

The article offers three policy recommendations for reducing the problem of underage drinking. The first is to prohibit advertising alcohol in media where 25% or more of the audience is underage. I agree that this first recommendation may reduce the problem because young people would not be as exposed to alcohol and the "out of sight, out of mind" theory may take effect. Most importantly, the policy would reduce young peoples’ exposure to ads that glorify drinking. In the long run, a restriction on alcohol advertisements may also cause drinking to become less socially acceptable, admirable, and desirable than it is today.

The second policy recommendation offered in the article is to require a federally mandated warning on alcoholic beverages. I believe that this measure would also reduce the problem of underage drinking because it would reinforce the negative aspects of alcohol. Young people may not drink out of fear of suffering from these harmful effects.

Lastly, the article offers a recommendation to prohibit the advertisement of alcohol at sporting events where 25% or more of the audience is underage. I agree that this would reduce the problem of underage drinking because of the fact that many young people look up to athletes as role models. When alcohol is promoted at sporting events, it is likely that young people will develop a positive correlation between drinking and athletic success. If such advertising were prohibited, perhaps young people would no longer make this association and choose not to drink in following the examples of their athlete role models.

a. Advertising offers several economic, political, cultural, and moral/religious benefits to society. Economically, advertising is valuable because it informs consumers about the availability and attributes of products offered for sale (new products as well as improvements in existing products) so that they are better equipped to make well-informed decisions. Advertising also creates competition between firms and consumers ultimately benefit from lower, competitive prices. Additionally, the advertising industry enhances the economy as it provides jobs. In the political arena, advertising is important because it informs the public of the ideas and policy proposals of parties and candidates. Thus, the public is able to make well-informed voting decisions. Furthermore, advertising has moral and religious benefits for society. It allows benevolent institutions to communicate their messages and provides as mean of spreading the gospel message to the community.

b. Advertising also presents several harms to society economically, politically, culturally, and morally. In terms of economics, advertising can betray its role as a source of information by misrepresentation, providing false or misleading claims, and withholding relevant facts. It creates (needs) and manipulates desires and promotes consumerist attitudes and values that are offensive to human dignity and the common good. Advertising also poses several political harms. The cost of advertising often limits political competition to the wealthy. Also, political advertising often seeks to distort the views and records of the opposing candidates, and unjustly attacks their reputations. Lastly, political advertising often appeals to public emotions instead of a reasoned sense of justice. In addition, advertising poses several moral/religious harms. First of all, it often appeals to motives such as envy, status seeking, and lust (evident in the morbid, perverse, and pornographic nature of some ads). Also, it often exploits religion by including religious themes and using religious images to sell products. Finally, it promotes products, attitudes, and behaviors that are contrary to moral norms.