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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Stacia Murphy, Peter Cressy

Aired March 02, 2002 - 12:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a closer look now at the liquor ad controversy. Stacia Murphy joins us from New York. She is the executive director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. And Peter Cressy, he joins us from Washington, he's with the Distilled Spirits Council. Thanks so much for joining me this afternoon.

Well, Stacia, let's begin with you. Already beer ads, malt liquor ads, as we saw in the spot have already aired on all the networks. What is the difference between that and hard liquor?

STACIA MURPHY, NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCE: Well, there is no difference. Alcohol is alcohol is alcohol. And we're certainly concerned that these ads keep bombarding the networks, television stations and the access of those ads to children, the young children and their propensity to look at those ads and see them as supporting or encouraging their drinking of alcohol.

There is -- there is no distinction between distilled spirits, or there shouldn't be between distilled spirits, beer or wine. As I said before, alcohol is alcohol is alcohol.

WHITFIELD: Well, does the campaign against having hard liquor ads equal that of any campaign to keep beer and malt liquor ads off the air?

MURPHY: Well, there are separate campaigns, and we're of the belief that they shouldn't be. I mean, if we're going have requirements for distilled spirits, we should have the same requirements for alcohol -- for beer and wine as well.

WHITFIELD: Peter, NBC made it its policy that as long as it has these hard liquor ads that are going to hit the airwaves, they have in place an agreement with some of the liquor companies that they have to have -- commit four months to campaigns that are socially conscious, socially aware campaigns to make sure that people get the message not to be abusive about alcohol. Does that help in this argument, do you think?

PETER CRESSY, DISTILLED SPIRITS COUNCIL: Well, we certainly think so. Look, we got to be very clear, we have got the best record out there of doing everything to steer away from youth in any way, shape or form. We're not the slightest bit interested in marketing to youth. I think it's very important to remember that all the basic data, all the big research that's been done and peer reviewed that was reviewed in the year 2000 by HHS says that, in fact, advertising is the lowest of all influences on a young person's decision to drink. It's really parents and peers that drive that equation. And that's why we're concerned about the AMA ads. AMA should really be focusing on the real problem, like we are, and that is on educating parents and on educating young people to avoid making that decision to start drinking under the age of 21.

WHITFIELD: But Peter, these campaigns just might be the arsenal that could lead to congressional hearings on this, to make sure that there is some sort of banning of any kind of hard liquor ads. So the argument is really in its beginning stages, it sounds like.

CRESSY: Well, actually we think First Amendment rights will make it very clear, and Congress is -- a number of people in Congress have told us that they recognize that First Amendment rights would make it extremely difficult and not appropriate to simply discriminate against spirits. Your distinguished guest has got it right, there is no difference between beer, wine and spirits.

I think the real issue here is we should all be held to a very high standard. We have held ourselves to a very high standard in all kinds of advertising. Your pre-empt to the program made it very clear that the NBC agreement with Diageo, our largest company, steers these ads completely away from young people. No celebrities, no sports figures, no cartoons. We're going to set the highest standards in the industry, and the American public can watch us and they'll be pleased.

WHITFIELD: Well, Stacia, let me bring you in here again. Is it at all pacifying in any way to hear NBC say that we're going to be careful about the placement of these ads, that they'll be aired during programs, during time slots when it's unlikely that there are young viewers? Is that pacifying at all?

MURPHY: It's not pacifying. We recognize the intent of what is being said. But however, you cannot legislate behavior. You have no guarantee that young people are not going to view those ads at the times that they're aired. We have no way of controlling that, we have no way of monitoring that, and we know how young people are, the forbidden fruit is the sweetest. When they are told not to do something or prohibited from doing something, it is very likely that they're going to do it. That is the nature of adolescent development.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much, Stacia Murphy. I'm going to have to have you have the last word on that. And Peter Cressy, thanks for joining us. And already some of these ads are already being seen on the NBC network as of last December 15. But the controversy is ongoing. Thanks very much for joining us.

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