Why is cigarette advertising on TV and radio banned but not alcohol?

[chefowen21]

Another answer is that the alcohol lobby in DC is a strong and powerful lobby. Most Congress people have a drink or 5, but a lot have stopped smoking. The tobacco companies have other markets in Asia and Europe that are welcoming American tobacco products.

Also, it is taking a long time for people to associate the damage alcohol can do to you. Alcoholism, liver damage, other health concerns, and drunk driving. If the media got on alcohol as they did on tobacco we would probably see a change in legislation and policy. Plus others are correct in saying that smoking has NO favorable consequences if you smoke with the exception that a study was done claiming that people who smoked were less likely to develop Alzheimer's, but I think the jury is still out on that one. While I'm not a fan of government telling me what I can and cannot do, I can't trust most people to make decisions that require consideration of others when smoking, so I welcome the ban on advertising etc. After reading all the questions about how much alcohol it takes to get drunk, and how fast can I get drunk, and which liquor is quicker, maybe we should take a look at some legislation in this area.