September 3, 2001 -- The following is from a story appearing in the current issue of BEERWeek (www.beerweek.com):

MICROSOFT TO REMOVE ALCOHOL RELATED ADS

Microsoft reported that it will pull all alcohol related advertisements from its MSN Internet service after criticism from the American Medical Association, according to an Aug. 29 Associated Press story by Deanna Bellandi. Gifts such as beer drinking games, a microbrew kit and party products are being removed from the Internet service after a letter from Dr. J. Edward Hill, chairman elect of the AMA's Board of Trustees, called underage drinking a serious national problem.

With all due respect to Dr. Hill and the distinguished members of the AMA, underage drinking IS NOT a serious national problem in the United States. What IS the problem is irresponsible drinking, and that is as true for a sixteen-year-old and it is for a forty-year-old.

It is most definitely a tragedy when binge drinking claims a young life, but no more so than when abusive drinking destroys a family or drunk driving causes a fatal crash. The common thread that ties these sad experiences is not the age of the participants, but their cavalier attitude towards alcohol.

What the United States needs is not a stricter form of Prohibition - which, after all, is what arbitrary drinking age laws really are - but a better appreciation of and respect for alcoholic beverages. Because the abuse of alcohol can be a killer, no matter what your age.

Search The Real Beer Library For More Articles Related To: underage drinking

Feedback?

We're very interested in your news, notes, comments and questions, so please feel free to contact SBWoB by clicking on the link below. Or you can add your comments when you sign up for the World of Beer Update, a mid-month e-mail newsletter that brings even more of the world of beer to your computer.

Send Feedback To: beaumont@worldofbeer.com