Lithuania & Anti-Alcohol

A tall bottle sits on the table. It is filled with yellow drink, white foam oozing over the top. Typically, the brand name is listed across the front of the bottle. Beautiful women surround the table, laughter fills the background, and once again - viewers are intrigued and alcohol advertisers find themselves successful.

Any given 40 minutes of television illustrates quickly to the viewer that promoting alcoholic beverages via some sort of appeal is ever present in America.

Though this fact is disheartening to those who desire more morally appealing products, recent reports in Lithuania reinforce hope.

"Lithuania looks ready to step up its efforts to wipe out alcohol advertisements from Lithuanian TV screens and radio waves," wrote journalist Linas Jegelevicius in yesterday's European Journalism Centre.

There are limitations already enforced in Lithuania, permitting advertisers to advertise alcohol only after 11 pm. However, officials have decided there is a need for more enforcement.

Naturally, there are those who dispute the matter. They argue that "a total ban of alcohol advertising will only impoverish national broadcasters by forcing them to downsize their content..."

It seems almost inhumane to argue however that advertising detrimental things should continue, simply for the purpose of keeping national broadcasters with more business.

Advertisers plan to just move all alcohol promotion to the web if the plan goes through. "Alcohol advertising will not just fade away", says Aiste Zillinskiene, chairwoman of Lithuania's Internet Media Association.

The chariman of Lithuania's journalist union stated yesterday, “We traditionally tend to tackle problems in Lithuania by simply adopting bans. It is a pity that instead of educating people and raising public awareness on the threats of excessive alcohol consumption, our legislators opt for bans, which prove to not be working in Lithuania".

The Lithuanian Catholic Church is strong, and in great support of what the governement is seeking to do.

Plans are to forbid any form of alcohol advertising in Lithuania media and on outdoor billboards beginning January 1, 2012.

For more information visit:
http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/russian_broadcasters_to_benefit_from_lithuanian_ban_on_alcohol_advertising/