Kernel advertising has impact, must be chosen more carefully

I have to register my disappointment with the Kernel’s flow of commercial advertisement for local bars, dance clubs and improper ads that include sexual annotations. What makes these ads even worse is when they overlap with the final week of exams.

The student communities are already contaminated by exposure to alcohol and sex ads on television, movies and yes, the addictive Internet.

The conclusion reached by a number of surveys, including one by the Center on Alcohol Advertising, showed evidence that advertising has a large impact on youth alcohol consumption. To me, alcohol abuse and alcoholism is the mother of all sins that spurs many immoral behaviors. The Kernel should be in the business of counter ads that warn about drinking, rather than promote it by advertisers’ discounts and entry promotions.

These ads make it fairly easy to exploit adult and young crowds as well. Therefore, the Kernel should be more responsible in scrutinizing these ads before publishing.

Ahmad Malkawi

College of Pharmacy, Chandler Medical Center