28.1 million people aged 18 years or above suffered from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) over the past year according to the National Health Institute. Health Canada says that 14% of teens aged 15-19 reported having vaped in the past 30 days. Addiction is a massive issue, and it is unethical to market it as anything else.
Part of the reason why these ads are so unethical is the way that they portray their products. In the majority of advertisements, they act as though their product is a harmless way to relax or enjoy the “big game”. The ads have an air of light happiness that neglect to show the possible outcomes of these products.
It is a common marketing trick to bombard consumers with advertisements. This is especially true for the gambling industry. A recent CBC News study found gambling or sports betting messages accounted for about 21% of the time spent on sports broadcasts. This means that the people watching sports games spend one fifth of that time watching gambling advertisements.
This shocking statistic shows another reason why marketing addictive habits is so unethical. According to Linkadex, “Gambling advertising can normalize addictive behaviors, leading individuals to underestimate their risks and overlook the potential consequences.”
But incorrect portrayal and desensitization are just the tip of the iceberg. The real lack of ethics is because of the taking advantage of and marketing to youth and other vulnerable communities.
“A lot of youth watch these sports games … they’re being programmed, essentially, to want to gamble,” said Nigel Turner, a scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in a CBC article. Similar trends were found in e-cigarette ads. “Experts have found that all e-cigarette ads included at least some type of youth-appealing content involving strong emotional appeal.” says the Youth Addiction Coalition.
Ads marketing addictive habits are unethical. They fail to accurately show the consequences and long term effects of the habits while marketing specifically to the people they know are more vulnerable, all for their own personal gain.
Sources:
- https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-topics/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
- https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/preventing-kids-teens.html
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/marketplace/sports-betting-gambling-advertisements-1.7086400
- https://linkadex.com/2024/04/10/examining-advertisings-impact-on-addictive-habits/
- https://apcbham.org/marketing-to-the-youth-of-america-how-e-cigarette-companies-target-young-people/
- https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/online-gambling-public-health-report-1.7384379
