The role of television advertisements in the consumption of alcohol by college students: a case study of maasai mara university.

Abstract

In the traditional African society, cultural norms prescribed certain conditions that alcoholic beverages and other intoxicants should be obtained and consumed. The family was the main agent of socialization of children and young people. In this era of modernization, where there is spontaneous consumption of old (television and radio) and new media (internet), the family has slowly lost its censorship, control, regulation and socializing power to the media. This has led to the reduction and or total abolition of stigma related to alcohol consumption. In Kenyan Colleges, students are rarely supervised therefore have unlimited access to drugs, alcohol and other intoxicants. The power of advertising cannot be underestimated. Advertisements have the power to socialize values, attitudes and behavioral lifestyles on an individual. According to the ELSA project report, young people between the ages of 19-29 are more vulnerable to alcohol advertising. These youth and young adults are consequently at risk of alcohol related harm such as accidents, injuries and or untimely deaths. The advertisements increase the chances of young people to start drinking and the amount they take on an occasion. Longitudinal studies show that the amount of media exposure and adverts achieve the objective of such commercial communications which is to increase alcohol consumption