STOP THE MADNESS. Wait, what madness, stop March Madness? No, ""STOP THE MADNESS"" is the slogan of a new advertising campaign that reprimands universities for allowing major alcohol corporations to advertise during collegiate athletics. The advocacy ads state the commercials derail attempts to curb high-risk drinking among American youth.
On the organization's website there is a list of frightening statistics about irresponsible drinking for the college-aged demographic. For instance, each year 1,700 university students die as a result of alcohol-related trauma.
Even more chilling: More than 70,000 students are victims of sexual assault where alcohol is a factor and 500,000 students are hurt annually under the influence of alcohol. While we cannot blame ""Big Alcohol"" for these figures, there is a time and place for such advertising, and it is not during college sports.
As with many societal queries, these scary stats are neither the result of some obvious, single causation nor can they be remedied with some quick-fix solution. Many factors contribute to binge drinking on college campuses across the country.
For starters, the government plays an active role in making alcohol the proverbial apple that so many youth are inherently drawn to solely because of its illegality. By restricting alcohol, the government unintentionally makes it much more attractive.
That, combined with the impulsiveness of those in the 18-24 age demographic, explains why it is no surprise that many young people would celebrate their brash free-spiritedness in the form of booze-drenched rendezvous.
Next, there is the media. The media constantly displays farfetched images that masquerade around pretending to be the norm. They range from exaggerated, misogynistic expressions of sexuality to unrealistic body expectations and causal attitudes toward intense drinking and drug use.
When these images are presented as a societal irony, people have the tendency to perceive them as a nationwide standard of what everyone is really doing, and hence, they become more acceptable.
This does not mean the media are necessarily responsible for those shocking numbers. However, it does mean they act as a lively participant in the cultural approval of careless drinking that serves as the springboard of opportunity for these damaging results.
In addition, in many of the commercials glorifying alcohol, they also stress consumer responsibility. Both universities and students need to shoulder a certain amount of responsibility for these occurrences.
As students, we have the freedom to make our own decisions and need to take responsibility by taking measures to ensure alcoholic experiences are safe.
Furthermore, universities should not allow for ethanol-laden advertisements during college sports, as it sends these messages to their students.
Universities should be there primarily for the students. Universities provide young people with the academic resources they need to expand their knowledge and perspectives, not only to further their education, but also their personal development.
By allowing alcohol companies to line their pockets and subtly condone excessive consumption, universities betray their students. Additionally, this is extremely hypocritical when colleges express dismay at their students drinking, yet feed them advertising promoting it. Ultimately, in the conflict of interest between the students and the alcohol companies, the students need to come first.
