LIQUOR ADVERTISING ISSUE IN U.S.A.

White Ribbon, Volume 22, Issue 4, 1 May 1950, Page 7

LIQUOR ADVERTISING ISSUE IN U.S.A.

To-day, through nearly 2.000 daily newspapers, 5,000 weekly newspapers and a spider’s web of continent-wide radio and television network, the liquor-makers are flushing not only for sales objectives, but to achieve the more dangerous aims of glamourizing

LANGER BILL INTEREST

their products and softening editorial criticism of or opposition to the traffic. (It is to be noted that 200 dailies and nearly 2.000 weeklies refuse all alcoholic beverage advertising.) This ceaseless torrent of liquor advertising is misleading and cajoling

millions of youth and adults, especially women, with deliberate misrepresentations of what alcohol is and the inevitable dissipation, crim:, accidents, disease and anti-social acts, flowing from the use of these poisonous products.

That is wbv the thoroughly constitutional metlod of barring the circulation of liquor advertising across State lines has been urged through the provisions of a Bill known as the Lai.ger Bill, in Congress.

The hearing in January lasted days and was a most important event for the Temperance Movement, who are now urging that the Bill be brought out of Committee as soon as possible.

To be present at the hearing, Mrs. Leigh Colvin, National W.C.T.U. President, and 40 State Presidents had travelled from all over the States. As it was impossible for all to speak, Mrs. Colvin asked them to stand from among the crowded audience in the Caucus Room, and drew the Committee’s attention to the fact that those present weie not made up only of local district folks, hut that, because of their deep interest they had come from far and neai.

Said Mrs. Colvin, “The people who testify on behalf of liquor advertising have a stake in it themselves. Those who are testifying against it. have nothing to gain, except a happier feeling about little children, who would not be deprived of the things they need, and the pleasure of seeing youth walking free and untrammelled the way of health and happiness, instead of becoming sordid victims of the greed of a traffic that knows no conscience.”—Extract from “Union Signal.”