This Bud's Not for You!

It is troubling to me to see all the beer commercials during the Olympic Games. Everyone is always fit and trim and glamourous in those ads, and consequences are nowhere to be seen. Of course, the statement "Please drink responsibly" is printed at the end for all to see. The only problem is that most people need a magnifying glass to read it. Do we really need alcohol sponsorship of athletic events? To me the two contradict each other. Most serious athletes avoid alcohol consumption or highly curtail it. There have been so many of these commercials running all day long. Because of our time zone, the prime time coverage is in the morning when many children are watching. Often the beer ads run back to back. PIBC is collaborating with Pacific Abundant Living Ministries, a faith-based anti-tobacco and alcohol social service agency in Guam, and I serve as the PIBC staff facillitator. Our statistics show that 36% of Guam's youth are drinkers and 19% are binge drinkers, which means that they have four or more drinks on one occasion. 17% of middle school students reported having their first alcoholic drink before the age of 11. Do the beer companies really believe that they need to extend their market and ruin more people's lives? Think about it!

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