Today, the National Assembly discussed the draft law on changes and amendments in RA Law on “Advertising”, according to which, it suggests providing an opportunity to the electronic media resources to advertise strong alcoholic beverages (20 percent or more content of alcohol, by volume) from 22:00 p.m. to 06.00 a.m. Today, RPA MP, co-author of the draft law, Naira Karapetyan, assured that the draft law pursues a good purpose, and the payments for advertising of up to 1 billion drams per annum can be spent to TV companies of Armenia, which would somehow improve their current financial situation. Won’t the “rehabilitation” of advertising once banned vodka over the TV channels will not leave negative effect on our citizens? To this question of Aravot.am, Petros Semerjyan, Head of Armenia’s Narcological clinic, gave a cautious response.
According to him, the philosophy of advertising is to motivate people to buy the product, and any advertising has its effect. The purpose of advertising is to expand the volume of the sale of their product. To our question of whether the advertising can affect consuming more vodka, Mr. Semerjyan said, “In Armenia, there are about 5000 people sick with alcoholism, compared with Russia and Georgia, we are in good shape, however, we have another problem, there is a problem with abuse of alcoholism, and health damages of alcohol. Advertising would lead to some increase in cases of alcohol abuse; I cannot say anything about the benefits because I do not know what benefits it will bring. Financial? And where will they be directed to? Any advertising is to promote sales.”
To our observation that the World Health Organization has classified Armenia in the rank of countries using alcohol and has considered it as a disturbing matter, Mr. Semerjyan said that our country has changed the form of using alcohol; it has strengthened the common use of alcohol. Regarding the permit of advertising alcohol, psychologist Karine Nalchajyan said that everything that has even been a risk for remote danger should not be advertised or in limited ways. “What is dangerous to human health or generates addiction, and the products that contain seduction in them, of course, people are buying them without advertising, however, advertising will certainly contribute to the growth of volume of using alcohol, but also will bring profits to respective people.”
As observed by Ms. Nalchajyan, psychologically thought and literate ad always leaves an impact. “Nevertheless, let’s not fall into the extremes, although seeing the ad of the new product, you think, “Let’s try this one too.” In any case, I do not see a serious danger, because the attitude toward drinking may be formed in some circumstances, and the ad will promote to some extent, but to say that we stimulate the nation to alcoholism through advertising is not true. There is another matter, the teenagers, whose self-esteem, ego is quite fragile, they can be allured by the advertising.”
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Nelly Babayan
