Just say no. Better you should have a fruit-flavored fizzy water and read a book.
That said, we appreciate television treating us like adults on the subject of drugs and alcohol. Cable programs in particular have grown up to the point that not every mention of a cocktail has to be accompanied by what used to be called a “pro-social message” slapping viewers in the face.
Now, in fact, TV has gone to the other extreme.
On “Weeds,” Mary Louise Parker plays a sympathetic suburban drug dealer, hilarious but admirable because she sells pot to support her kids. On “Breaking Bad,” Bryan Cranston’s tense former high-school chemistry teacher character is sympathetic even as he cooks up and sells methamphetamines because he has a terminal illness and is desperate to provide for his wife and child.
Meanwhile, the well-meaning advocacy group Mothers Against Drunk Driving is the butt of jokes on “House,” teased for overseeing Dr. House’s drinking and driving habits.
Ironically, the best arguments for moderation may be found on TV’s reality shows, where endless bad behavior is on display in camera- ready group homes stocked with booze. (An 11th season of the human train wreck “Big Brother” series is due on CBS this summer.) Humiliation may do more than all the “drink responsibly” messages ever could.
The mixed messages television offers about drug use and abuse are mind-bending.
And it’s not just the illicit substances that are of concern. The impact of TV commercials for prescription drugs has worried medical experts for years. Just try to sit through an evening newscast without encountering pitches to fix everything from lethargy to erectile dysfunction and restless leg syndrome.
You know the drill: Side-effects may include headache, nausea, back pain, muscle pain, nasal stuffiness, flushing, dizziness, rashes, swelling, trouble breathing or vision changes. An erection that lasts more than four hours . . . “Not a complete list,” as they say.
Decades ago, advocacy groups enlisted Hollywood to stop glamorizing “gratuitous drinking” in prime time. Some story lines boldly had characters come to grips with their alcoholism (Christine Cagney on “Cagney and Lacey” famously joined AA; Betty Ford was the subject of a TV movie about her alcoholism). Those upstanding efforts by the TV networks came in handy when it was time to argue against banning alcohol and drug ads from the airwaves.
New onslaught of ads
According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, youth exposure to alcohol advertisements on television rose by 41 percent from 2001 to 2005 — mostly because distilled spirits companies boosted the tens of millions they spend on cable TV.
But in the 2000s, many network affiliates began carrying ads for hard liquor. CBS broke its self-imposed ban with a spot for Absolut during the Grammys last month, and ads for beer and sweet, single- serving, youth-targeted intoxicants continue apace.
Is the audience mature enough to handle the onslaught?
This month, new research in the Netherlands has shown for the first time that portrayals of alcohol in films and TV commercials have an immediate effect on the amount of alcohol that people drink. The research, published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, found that those who saw lots of alcohol references drank twice as much as those who didn’t.
Who hasn’t felt the urge to join a good-looking gang of prime-time consumers of adult beverages? On “Brothers & Sisters,” the ABC soap about a California family that owns a vineyard, drinking is a family ritual.
Lizzy Caplan’s depressed cater-waiter character routinely sneaks vodka shots on “Party Down,” and her colleagues retreat to the rest- room to smoke pot on the job. The affluent couple on “Damages,” played by Glenn Close and Michael Nouri, order a second bottle of Barolo when dinner-table discussion turns uncomfortable.
So many attractive role models, so much alcoholic content.
Ads targeting underage drinkers are a problem. At the same time, so is the nanny state.
As usual, parents can better influence what young consumers do than all the advocacy groups, legislation and “pro-social messages” in the world.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
