Alcohol Adverts vs Banned Tobacco

Take a walk through any city centre, switch on your TV, or scroll through social media. Chances are, it won’t be long until you’re seeing alcohol used in a positive light.

Whether marketers understand, or even care, that this messaging is hindering people from alcohol recovery is unknown, but you won’t find the same for tobacco. In fact, you’ll likely struggle to find any tobacco marketing at all.

So why is there a contrast?

A brief overview of our history with alcohol and tobacco

Public perception towards alcohol and tobacco is, in some ways, a reflection of the broader shifting cultural values we hold. Both have been consumed for thousands of years. As far back as 6000 BC, Native Americans wove tobacco into social customs and rituals. Even earlier than that, alcoholic fermented grain drinks have been dated to 7000 BC in China.

For centuries, both alcohol and tobacco have played central roles in ceremony and ritual, in celebration and commiseration. In some cultures, both substances have served as symbols of adulthood or even sophistication. In many ways, this echo still reverberates across our current age, but as with any deeply embedded social activity, our understanding of whether it is inherently right or wrong to drink or smoke evolves.

Our health priorities change, especially as our understanding of addiction and long-term health impacts grows more sophisticated. The lens with which we view these substances has, in many ways, become clearer with scientific advancement.

Yet, could it be that the skewing of public perception has been applied unequally over the years? If that is not the case, then why would one out of these two substances that harm us be advertised in myriad forms of mass media, while the other remains subject to rigorous banning from the powers above us?

Contextualising where we stand on alcohol and tobacco now

Today, we may generally claim that alcohol and tobacco occupy different spaces in public health discourse, despite both being leading causes of preventable illnesses and death.

Those of a certain age will remember cigarette boxes before all packaging was made to be plain, before graphic health warnings became the only semblance of colour on the box. Their packages were often shiny and reflective, catching the light held in the eye of the next waiting customer.

In the UK, the 2002 Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act banned virtually all forms of tobacco advertising. This comprehensive tobacco ad ban stretched across print, broadcast and sponsorship. Subsequent public campaigns, such as the influential “Smoking Kills” campaign, dominated many televisions in the early 2000s. Stark TV adverts and powerful public health messaging were used to shift social norms around smoking, which largely worked.

Alcohol, by contrast, remained highly visible. Glossy billboards were still dotted around the country depicting luxurious glasses of champagne, and companies like Budweiser still held a foothold over advertising in the sporting industries. Alcohol generally was not subject to the same restrictions placed on tobacco, yet its health risks continued to ravage the country. Even now, alcohol claims tens of thousands of lives each year in the UK alone, while its links to cancer, liver disease and mental health problems become household knowledge.

The difference in regulation opens up broader conversations about alcohol and public health. The contrast in our perceptions of the two substances raises questions about what we, as a collective people, choose to protect or demonise through regulation.

Selling harm: why one is marketed and the other maligned

When we begin to ask questions about the forces that govern the products we see, buy and consume, it is natural to feel a degree of discomfort or scepticism. If there were such an invisible hand at play that pushes or pulls certain products, most people would wish to at least catch a glimpse of the apparition.

One such way a person may begin to give form to spectral governance may be found by revisiting the seminal work of Edward Bernays. Through the mid-20th century, Bernays was given the nickname of the father of public relations. In the 1920s, Bernays orchestrated one of the most famous PR campaigns in history, convincing women to smoke by framing cigarettes as symbols of feminist rebellion. The “Torches of Freedom” campaign didn’t just sell a product; it sold the narrative behind it, linking tobacco to personal empowerment. Needless to say, titans of the tobacco industry saw pleasing results.

This early example reveals how public attitudes and, more importantly, buying habits, can be at least partially engineered. Bernays understood that a customer’s choice of product is not wholly organic. The inception of their will is shaped by culture, power structures, and carefully curated messaging.

So when we ask why alcohol is often marketed as harmless fun, while tobacco is frequently treated as a social ill, we’re really asking: who benefits from that divide?

The answer to such a heavy question cannot be found easily. This isn’t to suggest that smoking should return to public favour, but it does raise the hope that we apply the same level of scrutiny and discernment to substances like alcohol, which carry similarly dangerous outcomes.

Imagining where we’re heading with alcohol and tobacco

The UK Government has pledged to create the first smokefree generation by enacting legislation so that children turning 14 this year or younger “will never be legally sold tobacco products.” It’s a bold move that signals a long-term commitment to phasing out smoking entirely.

A few years before, a 2017 report marked the highest smoking quit success rate on record, suggesting that legislation and public health campaigns are genuinely influencing social behaviours and norms.

But the question remains: will alcohol ever be met with the same decisive action?

Alcohol advertising in the UK remains widespread, and while we do see some restrictions, the visibility and glamorisation of alcohol still vastly outweigh what we now see with tobacco. If we’re serious about alcohol and public health, a more balanced approach may be overdue.

Is our outlook on alcohol softer than on tobacco?

More likely than not, you have seen the overt health warnings placed on cigarette packaging and you have heard campaign messaging linking smoking and cancer. Research into smoking and cancer does indeed prove a link, and we should remain grateful for the number of lives anti-smoking legislation has saved across the world.

But alcohol’s dangers often remain softened by varying degrees of cultural familiarity. The World Health Organization reports that alcohol contributes to 2.6 million deaths each year globally, which is 4.7% of all deaths. It is linked to liver disease, heart conditions, cancer, accidents and incidents of violence. In the UK, the Office for National Statistics reported record-high alcohol-specific deaths in 2012, with almost 10,000 deaths.

Yet, many people can agree that, unlike smoking, alcohol generally retains its association with celebration. It is portrayed in advertisements and films as a social lubricant that brings people together and instigates social success. We feel that this cultural insulation often prevents alcohol from being held to the same light as tobacco.

Scientific research doesn’t draw a clear moral distinction when it comes to alcohol vs tobacco health risks. Both substances increase the risk of life-threatening illness. The difference does not lie in the danger, but in the way we choose to look at smoking and alcohol.

Where can I find support for my addiction?

If this article has left you questioning the narratives around alcohol or tobacco, you’re not alone. Whether you’re struggling with alcohol, nicotine, or any other substance, there is help available. You don’t need to wait for things to get worse or for a moment of crisis to ask for support.

At UKAT, we offer compassionate, evidence-based addiction treatment tailored to your needs. Our expert team understands how hard it can be to break free from cultural pressure and behavioural patterns. Expert therapy is in place to help you develop healthier coping mechanisms to combat urges.

You’ve taken a moment today to reflect. Let that be your first step towards a healthier future, where your day isn’t dominated by alcohol addiction. Sober living doesn’t need to revolve around restrictions. It can bring you the freedom and clarity you’re looking for.

Reach out now and let’s start your recovery together.