Originally Posted by
LexieCat 
I don't think any alcoholic drinks because of marketing. To be honest, I don't have a problem with alcohol, period, from a philosophical standpoint. It's legal, most people enjoy it without any real problem. Yes, some people who are not alcoholics are irresponsible drinkers. There are a lot of irresponsible people in the world who hurt others due to their negligence and carelessness, with no help from alcohol.
I don't watch a lot of TV. When I was VERY newly sober, yeah, watching people drink in movies or in other settings irritated me a bit. If it irritated me too much, I left.
Most long-time sober alcoholics feel the same way, I think. I'm neutral as far as alcohol's existence, and marketing, etc. goes. Neither for or against it.
I agree that ads don't turn people into alcoholics.
Though I suppose if I consider those who begin drinking underage and are alcoholics underage, I'd have more of an issue with its impact on developing alcoholism than I would be regarding an adult. Much like cigarettes use cartoon characters often, it doesn't turn one into an alcoholic or a smoker, but kids are impressionable...it certainly doesn't help, as it glamorizes/plays down the negative aspects/makes it look "cool", etc.
I'm interested in what you said, above, in boldface. Now that I live with an alcoholic, I notice it so much more. Sometimes, it's literally every other commercial or a couple back to back. I think if one is serious about quitting, then leaving or changing the channel as you did is the obvious right choice.
I'm interested too since, like eating things that are bad for you, it's one of the few things that are acceptable to advertise, all day, all night. I have to think that poses more of a challenge for someone who is struggling to quit, the fact that it's out in public, unlike if one has, say, a problem with cocaine. You aren't going to see an ad for cocaine!