Weasel1966

I'm at work. Decide to go grab a drink from the cafe. Perusing the selection a can caught my eye. "Monster rehab!" The can read. As I turned the can to read more.... "Rehab the beast!"

Really?

The terminology that we bestow on our youth literally makes fun of and makes light of addiction. Not to mention that some are even addicted to energy drinks.

I went to rehab a few times. I have a beast that wants and wants. I can tell fellow addicts one thing clearly. The beast is never to be rehabbed. He is not to be helped to rebuild a new life posing as sane. You should never put lipstick on the beast.

Now I don't take this very seriously.... Kind of tongue-in-cheek.... But a good reminder as the holiday weekend approaches that the only good beast is a dead beast.



What do you think of a drink aimed at kids with this kind of branding?

Nonsensical

Made me think of this:

Weasel1966

Aboultly what I was talking about non! Love it

Nonsensical

But, seriously, your point is made - "rehab" glamorized and turned into a marketing tool?

Not helpful.

soberclover

I wish the alcohol industry would spend less money targeting youth in developing "brand loyalty" as it could on prevention efforts.

Received

Some are not only addicted to energy drinks, they mix energy drinks with alcohol. Using the two together apparently allows one to drink longer and harder without passing out or getting sleepy. What you end up with is a wide awake, dangerously drunk individual.

bloss

Yes, so true addiction is not funny or hip. Becoming sober requires tenacity. Coming from a family of alcoholics was very hurtful. Then I became one, certainly addiction is a beast, becoming sober through whatever means works for each person is a gift we allow ourselves to receive.

Nonsensical

To be fair, the term "rehabilitation" is applicable in circumstances other than substance addiction. I suspect, however, that when your target demographic knows more about Lindsay Lohan than Mariano Rivera the marketers were attempting a play on words that I find dangerous.

bloss

Ahhh marketing, bottom line how to sell the product

Weasel1966

It's the bold use of the concepts that struck me this morning. Kids don't connect rehab with something bad or with lives in shambles. They associate it with stars and famous people as just part of life. But if they understood what it takes to finally go to one... No less the multiple rehabs I went to... They may see things different.

But that will never be. Few see this path coming. Or if they do they cannot stop it. So any amount of fore knowledge of the subject of addiction tends to be pointless in actual preventing of it. Hell... Addiction councelors sometimes become addicts.

Bottom line for me... In my life... Live such a way as to not promote it to anyone. Live respectably so as to model good behavior. This gets applied across the board in everything I do. It's a hit or miss target sometimes but that's the plan. Lol

SereneEdition

Totally agree that it's poor taste in marketing.

BUT!!!! it does signal a change that does give me hope. Namely, it's a sign that the 'stigma' of rehab and alcoholism is going away for a younger generation because it's not an unknown/ hush hush thing. Often, we have stigmas and fears of the unknown, but by seeing Lindsey, Dr. Drew, etc -and specifically, getting help and talking about addiction, being open about getting help is a norm.

Too early to tell the impacts, but it seems like it's following in the footsteps of cultural acceptance of being gay. It's just not as much of an issue for younger generations as older generations.

I would love a society in which I could be open about my alcoholism, be open about getting the help I need to stay sober, and leave the stigma.

ALso, maybe people will get help sooner as they see that you can be an alcoholic and NOT fit the advanced staged - destitute image that society paints as an alcoholic.

Anyway, I'm in a hopeful mood this morning!

Hope everyone has a great Wednseday

ElegantlyWasted

That's a sexy beast Nonsense. Weasie nailed it (at first I thought the post was a call out to go on a bender LOL). Sad how every other month you read about a kid/young adult dying from too much red bull and vodka. It's marketers putting lipstick on a pig.