Answer Addiction

Tag: Alcohol Industry

  • Students "Take Back" Billboards To Reduce Alcohol Advertising

    Students "Take Back" Billboards To Reduce Alcohol Advertising

    Students at the school said that alcohol use among teens is universally accepted so their anti-drinking campaign is necessary. 

    A school in California is trying to reduce the number of alcohol advertisements that its students see by purchasing billboard ad space and replacing alcohol ads with messages that encourage kids to avoid drinking. 

    A nonprofit associated with Roosevelt High in Fresno purchased the ad space and replaced it with an ad showing teens who chose education over alcohol. There are plans for at least one more billboard in Fresno. 

    Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson told ABC30, “For folks that are making good choices and prioritizing education over drugs and alcohol that you have some like-minded colleagues. So kids finding each other and willing to say hey I’m not willing to let anything get in my way of college is a really strong message.”

    The billboard that is up now shows eight students from Roosevelt High with the caption “I choose my education over alcohol.” 

    Students at the school said that alcohol use among teens is universally accepted, so taking a dramatic stance with something as visible as billboard is important. 

    Sophomore Nicole Lee said, “When we go to parties, my uncles would give my cousins drinks when they’re 18, so you’re basically breaking the law. I came to a point where I’m taking a stand so I’m going to do something to change that.” 

    Christina Garcia, another sophomore, agreed that talking about the dangers of alcohol for teens is important. 

    “Coming from me as a youth I have friends that say drinking is this and drinking is my life and OK it’s your life but what about your life. You’re just going to throw away your life for alcohol,” she said.

    Despite the experiences of teens at Roosevelt High, researchers have found that teen drinking rates are actually decreasing. According to researchers who conducted the Monitoring The Future survey, which looks at substance use among middle and high school students, teen drinking peaked in 1997 and has decreased 60% since then. 

    Last year, binge drinking among seniors in high school decreased by 2.8%. Fourteen percent of high school seniors reported that they had engaged in binge drinking in the prior two weeks. 

    At the same time, vaping of nicotine and marijuana has increased dramatically among teens, worrying health providers. More than 7% of teens reported that they had vaped marijuana in the past 30 days, while the percent of teens who had vaped nicotine doubled to 21%.  

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Bartenders Talk Being Sober In The Alcohol Industry

    Bartenders Talk Being Sober In The Alcohol Industry

    Fine cocktail places are getting into the sober spirit, supporting a health-conscious clientele with non-alcoholic drinks.

    The concept may at first seem like an oxymoron, but sober bartenders are becoming more common as the industry transforms.

    Bar professionals like Jack McGarry of New York’s famous Dead Rabbit and Nectaly Mendoza of Las Vegas’ Herbs & Rye don’t drink anymore, breaking the industry stigma of sober servers and, eventually, sober bar patrons.

    “It sort of ties back into the maturity and the further professionalization of our industry,” said McGarry, explaining that the bar industry was traditionally synonymous with a party atmosphere that invited health problems and alcoholism.

    As bartending has evolved, it has increasingly entered into a professional space—some places elevating themselves to something comparable to a fine-dining restaurant. Moderation and sobriety have come hand-in-hand with this professionalism, and they’re welcoming to any customers who are also seeking the same.

    “The reality is, anyone who drinks regularly knows there are periods where people might not want to drink,” said Jim Kearns of The Happiest Hour and Slowly Shirley in New York.

    To accommodate this, it’s increasingly common for bars to have alcohol-free cocktails on the menu. Not only do some establishments take pride in their non-alcoholic concoctions, any restaurant seeking the coveted Michelin stars is required to offer a non-alcoholic cocktail menu to even be considered.

    Mendoza also has some wisdom to dispense regarding cutting down alcohol in your life: don’t try too hard.

    “If you’re trying to lose weight, and you only eat a can of tuna and water, you’re setting yourself up for failure,” said Mendoza.

    Another key factor is dealing with friends or family who might be put off by you not joining in on the liquid revelry. On this, the pros agree: just be honest.

    “Tell your people you’re doing it for a month so you have their support, and they can also hold you accountable for it,” McGarry advised. “You’re just making it more difficult [by lying]. It’s already difficult enough without making it harder.”

    Kearns’ advice is more blunt.

    “If anybody is mad about a choice that’s made in someone’s best interest, maybe they’re not a very good friend,” he said.

    In the end, it’s your choice, they stress. And it’s not as hard as you might think.

    View the original article at thefix.com