SAMPLE LETTERS
President Bill Clinton The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Clinton: Thank you for expressing your concerns about alcohol advertising. I agree that action must be taken to protect our children from the advertisements that glamorize and normalize drinking. Because we are awash in advertisements for alcoholic beverages, I strongly urge you to support counter advertisement measures that would educate the public, particularly young people, about the health and safety risks associated with immoderate drinking, the third leading cause of preventable death in America. Counter advertising campaigns have been proven to be an effective means of reducing tobacco use; it's time that we used mass market advertising techniques in combination with the most powerful media at our disposal to inform people that when not taken in moderation, any alcoholic beverage--whether it be beer, wine, gin, vodka or anything else containing the drug ethanol--can have a serious downside that affects both drinkers and non-drinkers alike. These ads should be funded through an increase in the federal excise tax on all alcoholic beverages. An increase in taxes will in itself reduce alcohol-related problems; in combination with messages that "unsell" these products, it delivers a powerful one-two punch. California and Massachusetts have successfully employed this method to reduce tobacco use within those states. More than half the nation's students in grades 5 to 12 say that alcoholic beverage advertising encourages them to drink. Counter advertisements will present the public with educational information about the drug alcohol that will benefit everyone. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,
The Honorable -- United States Senate/House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510/20515 Dear Senator/Representative: Because we are awash in advertisements for alcoholic beverages, I strongly urge you to support counter advertisement measures that would educate the public, particularly young people, about the health and safety risks associated with immoderate drinking, the third leading cause of preventable death in America. Counter advertising campaigns have been proven to be an effective means of reducing tobacco use; it's time that we used mass market advertising techniques in combination with the most powerful media at our disposal to inform people that when not taken in moderation, any alcoholic beverage--whether it be beer, wine, gin, vodka or anything else containing the drug ethanol--can have a serious downside that affects both drinkers and non-drinkers alike. These ads should be funded by an increase in the federal excise tax on all alcoholic beverages. An increase in taxes will in itself reduce alcohol-related problems; in combination with messages that "unsell" these products, it delivers a powerful one-two punch. California and Massachusetts have successfully employed this method to reduce tobacco use within those states. More than half the nation's students in grades 5 to 12 say that alcoholic beverage advertising encourages them to drink. Counter advertisements will present the public with educational information about the drug alcohol that will benefit everyone. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,