SO YOU THINK THE ANTI'S WILL STOP WITH SMOKING?

New York - November 8, 1996 -- The US liquor industry decided to drop its 50-year-old voluntary ban on advertising on television and radio. The industry feels that hard liquor should be treated like wine and beer regarding accessing the airwaves.

According to the Chronicle News Services, "The move paves the way for a fight over whether liquor individual companies should dispense with the self-imposed restriction. Federal regulators and anti-alcohol groups worry that such a move could promote underage drinking."

"Within hours of the announcement of the ban's end, the move had drawn sharp criticism from the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, the National Association of Broadcasters, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and several prominent congressional Democrats."

This move by the hard liquor industry has certainly ruffled a few anti-alcohol feathers. It also is impinging on the Department of Health and Human Services' plan toward a "Healthy People 2000" goal against smoking, drinking and diet, among other health issues.

"It's outrageous," said Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II, (D-Mass). "Once again, we're seeing the corporate bottom line at work -- distillers are blinded by potential profits," Kennedy said. Kennedy vowed to put into law the voluntary ban that is being ignored.

"This is yet another example of what our government, pushed by government funded coalitions, intend to do to control what we put into our bodies," said Raymond Sasso, President of FORCES. "I've been warning people that smoking was not the only choice that would be under attack. Smoking was just the first domino in the chain of governmental control on our health. If you think it will stop with alcohol now, then just keep deluding yourself. The 'master health plan' is coming. It will be far reaching and profound -- and the public does not see it coming. The government has no right, nor should it have any control over the choices an individual makes. If the prime concern is children, then the parents should be totally responsible for their upbringing. The choices of adults should not be regulated by the government, under the guise of 'protecting our children' to achieve it," said Sasso.

It would appear that the anti-alcohol extremists, seeing the success in the anti-smoking movement, has begun its push toward a neo-prohibition of alcohol. Ironic that Joseph P. Kennedy II would be a leader in this anti-alcohol agenda, since the Kennedy family amassed its fortune during the prohibition -- and because of the prohibition. If it weren't for prohibition, there might have not been a Kennedy dynasty.

Now, does that say something about todays anti-smoking and anti-alcohol industry regarding the money to be made by its proponents?

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