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Budweiser’s Boasts

Recently I noticed an advertisement on the television-an advertisement for beer-in which Budweiser, a well known brewer of alcoholic beverages boasted that alcohol related deaths had decreased by 36% in the past year. They claimed that this decrease was due to the designated driver program and encouraged individuals to participate in this program and drink responsibly. Perhaps you have seen the same advertisement. There were several things that deeply disturbed me about Budweiser’s boasts.

First, it is NEVER responsible to drink an alcoholic beverage for the purpose of becoming intoxicated. The dictionary of oxymorons has had numerous entries in the past twenty years with this type of thinking. Among the most popular of the listings would be: “drink responsibly,” and “think when you drink.” Each one of these expressions is impossible to accomplish if one is drinking to become intoxicated. The state of intoxication produces a physiological response in one’s body so as to PREVENT one from being responsible, much less, thinking correctly. Through these and other slogans, the alcohol industry has duped many into believing the lie that one can maintain a measure of sobriety while drinking. Like all lies, Satan is the father (John 8:44).

Second, while the designated driver program has, no doubt, saved some lives, the message of the designated driver program is deceptive. This message is: go ahead and drink all you want, someone will be there to take care of you when you have lost your senses. The problem with this message is that it does not address other issues that are caused by alcohol. Such issues include: spousal abuse, child abuse and neglect, family violence, public lewdness, destruction of property, rape, robbery, murder, and the list goes on and on. Where is the “designated driver” program for these crimes? Alcohol contributes to each of these crimes every single year without an automobile even being involved. In fact, most alcohol is consumed in people’s homes where most of these crimes occur. What is the alcohol industry doing about it? Practically nothing. Rather, it is in the interests of the alcohol industry for these things to happen. Many of them lead to depression and people drink when they are depressed. This puts more money in the pockets of the industry and drains society of its productive members. Designated driver programs are merely a symbol that falsely legitimizes the alcohol industry and makes those who are ignorant feel good about drinking it. These are they who serve their own belly and through smooth and fair speech deceive the hearts of the innocent (Romans 16:18).

Finally, for the alcohol industry to boast and say that alcohol related death has decreased by 36% is offensive. It is offensive because independent groups who measure such things say that the percentage of alcohol related deaths has risen more than ever![i] It is offensive because this is a problem that they have originated and to say that they should be praised for resolving a small part of their problem is laughable and ridiculous. It is offensive because those who died as a result of alcohol will never return and that blood is still upon their hands and there is nothing they can do to erase it. It is offensive because countless millions will be deceived into thinking that it is not only acceptable but also good to drink alcohol because its manufacturers are ‘saving lives.’ It is offensive because the implication of their ad is that it is acceptable to drink because alcohol related deaths have decreased by 36% when it will NEVER be acceptable to drink even if the deaths decrease by 100%. It is offensive because the message being propagated by the alcohol industry is that it is OK for some people to die so that others may engage in reckless self-absorption-that the pursuit of pure pleasure is more important that the sanctity of life (Hebrews 11:25)!

It is characteristic of Satan to transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and this is exactly what the alcohol industry is attempting to do! Satan will also persuade many to believe that evil is good and that good is evil (Isaiah 5:20) and lead many to partake in alcoholic beverages. But know this, alcohol always has been and always will be sinfully deceptive by its very nature (Proverbs 23:31,32) and the light of truth will always expose evil (John 3:19-21). Let us, as Christians, never to be deceived by its wily clutches and always realize that profligacy, excess, and riot are its constant companions (Ephesians 3:15).

[i] See the home page of Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (http://www.madd.org) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/alcohol/).