Author: contributor

Alcohol addiction is one of the major forms of addiction in the world alongside with drug addiction. It often starts with the individual abusing alcohol due to several reasons like peer pressure, curiosity and the likes.

Eventually, the abuse develops into an addiction which becomes powerful, obsessive and compulsive.  

It would interest you to know that there are some places or events that induce alcohol addiction. This is one of the major reasons why, during rehab, the recovering individual is often advised to avoid some places so that the cravings would not resurface.

Below are some places/events that encourages addiction to alcohol:

• Bar

If you don’t want to get addicted to alcohol, the bar is one place you should not go to. Usually, there are variety of drinks for you to select from. And sometimes, drinks are often on the house. With this, alcohol abuse is regularly encouraged, which later results into alcohol addiction.

When some individuals are feeling distraught, going to the bar is one of the first places that comes to their mind. Doing this act only helps to spur addiction on and nothing else. Also, if you have friends who visit the bar more often than usual, there is a tendency you will be invited to join them.

• Parties

If you are someone who attends parties regularly, there is a good chance that you will get addicted to alcohol. These days, parties are not complete without alcohol particularly for parties where the attendees are above the age of 18.

These days, several people do not see the wrong in taking too much alcohol. And one reason is because, they derive too much pleasure from it. To avoid alcohol addiction, you would have to cut down on your parties’ attendance.

• Nightclub

The nightclub is another easy means to get addicted to alcohol. At a nightclub, hardly will you see anyone not taking alcohol. People who frequent nightclubs are likely to get addicted to alcohol in the shortest possible time.  

The prevalence of addiction is more widespread than before. As people, corporate bodies and organizations strive to reduce the rate of addiction, other mediums encourage addiction. One of the proficient means to make sure the rate of addiction reduces, is by using effective marketing means to enlighten people.

Here are 3 marketing mediums to teach people about addiction:

• Word of Mouth Marketing

Word of Mouth marketing has been one of the most proficient marketing means even before the internet was invented. And the interesting fact is, if the normal marketing mediums fade off in due time, word of mouth marketing will last forever.

The reason for this is, talking is an integral part of us. In our day-to-day activities, we market various products and services with our mouths without being aware.

In the enlightenment of people about addiction, word of mouth marketing would come in handy because it is easy to convince people when you speak. Word of Mouth marketing can even be done proficiently on the internet, the media space, real-life campaigns and a host of others.

• Social Media

With the invention of the internet, the social media has proved to be one of the strongest force in marketing and communication. Almost everyone is on one social media platform or the other and this has made it very easy to spread information at the speed of light.

People learn different things from the various social media platforms available, and it would be a great idea to increase the awareness of addiction. There are several people who do not know they are addicted. Heck! There are a number of people who know they are addicted but they do not know it is bad.

If it is done expertly, the social media would be a great means to educate people about the ills of addiction.  

• Print Media

Even though the social media seems to have edged out the print media, it is still very effective in marketing. The print media can be used to spread truths about addiction, and those who can read or interpret images depicting the ills of addiction would be able to get the message. 

Marketing is a very interesting field, and it has taken a new turn. These days, marketing does not involve educating prospective customers about various services so that they can make the right decision.

Marketing these days employs the use of emotional strategies and influencing tactic so that customers can make their decisions based on what product to buy, using their emotions basically.

This is the danger which is inherent in the addiction process.

Addiction is as a result of indulging in an obsessive and compulsive act or substance use, in order to derive pleasure.

These days, marketing has rebranded these acts as being normal and this is why people do not really have an understanding of what addiction is.

Taking substance addiction for example, it results from substance abuse, and this is promoted by marketing.

You will see alcohol being rebranded as something which ensures you are active and not dull.

The sad part is, the side-effects which comes with alcohol are not usually highlighted, so that prospective customers would not be dissuaded from buying it.

Addiction has lots of negative effects, and for those who think there are positive effects, they are usually short-lived.

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In the long run, if an individual’s addiction is not well catered for, the person could die in the process as a result of damage to the internal organs of the body.

Therefore, it is necessary that those who are addicted should seek treatment before it is too late.

One of the set of people who are at the forefront in the fight against substance abuse or any form of addiction, are health practitioners.

Hence, it is advised that they use marketing as a means to sensitize their locality on the detrimental effects of addiction.

The means of marketing should be top-notch, so that it can promote the exact intended message.

Once this is done on a regular basis, it is certain that people would have a good understanding of how addiction works, and this would reduce the rate of addiction in the populace of a nation.

It is a well-known fact that the purpose of marketing is to make us aware of certain things which we most times, do not need at that moment. However, it could happen that periods could arise when we would be in dire need of those products, and we would search for them painstakingly.

It can be said that the proficiency of the marketing methods used prior to when you needed the product, would determine if you would get it promptly or not.

Also, most times, marketing makes some content available to us which we do not take full consciousness of, except for certain contents such as money, food, sex and alcohol. When it comes to the aforementioned contents, it would interest you to know that, it would be difficult for you to forget.

When it comes to addiction, marketing has played a huge role in making it known to people; even making some of them getting addicted in the process.

Marketers put up addictive items for sale, such as food or alcohol, in such a manner that it would not look harmful, and there would be a subtle advocate for the absence of self-control.

Someone who is well-informed, would tell you the rate at which the product should be used. However, the marketer would make no mention of that, and would also leave out the possible consequences which come with taking or using the product more than usual.

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Taking alcohol for example, a good number of marketers show alcohol as something which can be consumed and have no side-effects. It is usually portrayed as something which comes with great rewards.

When addicts come across these advertisements, it becomes even harder for them to quit, as they would come to believe that the product would bring no harm to them. Hence, it reduces the light of the situation, making it look less serious than it should actually be.

Conclusively, it can be said that marketing has done more harm than good when it comes to the misrepresentation which it has shown of addictive substances, and this act is currently on the rise.