Showbiz celebs under fire over alcohol posts on social media

[Lite Beer]

LAW
Showbiz celebs under fire over alcohol posts on social media
Puangchompoo Prasert
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A group of young campaigners at the Public Health Ministry call yesterday for an investigation into actors and singers who posted images of beer products on their online media accounts.

A NUMBER of entertainment celebrities are in hot water after posting pictures of themselves with beer products on social media.

Among these stars are Pakorn Lam, or Dome, Natthaweeranuch Thongmee, or VJ Ja, Virithipa Yamnam, or Woonsen, and Wichian Kusolmanomai, also know as DJ Petjah.

Their Instagram pictures sparked a major controversy as the law prohibits alcohol being advertised because of the road carnage it causes and other social issues.

The Youth Network of New-Face Drinker Prevention yesterday lodged a complaint with Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, demanding that action be taken against the stars.

Their pictures clearly show the logo of a beer brand.

"I will instruct the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee to look into the issue," Piyasakol said.

He said that judging by the pictures, the celebrities might have violated the law.

Piyasakol's secretary Dr Kittisak Klabdee said the law stated that the celebrities could be punished even if they were not paid to promote the beer brand.

"If a company hired them, that company will be punished too," he said.

Kittisak said the law against alcohol |advertising applied to all people, not just famous figures, and anyone could land in |legal trouble if they posted pictures of alcohol products on social media.

Teerapat Kahawong, coordinator for the Youth Network of New-Face Drinker Prevention, said the use of celebrities' testimonials in such subtle advertisements could mislead youths into wrongly believing that drinking alcohol was cool.

Idol worship

"Many children and youths see celebrities as their idols," he said.

Earlier this week, Pakorn Lam tried to control the controversy by announcing he would remove the offending pictures from his Instagram account.

Associate Professor Kalyakorn Worrakullatanee, who teaches advertising at the Thammasat University's faculty of |journalism and mass communication, said she believed the simultaneous postings of products from the beer brand was not |coincidental.

"The pictures come with captions that describe the products in the same direction," she said. "It's quite clear that these postings are a part of new PR or advertising strategy."

Kalyakorn wants the authorities take action against this form of advertising.

She expressed concern that some people, particularly youth, might not be aware they viewed advertisements in disguise and ended up copying the behaviour.

"Alcohol consumption can lead to many problems, such as road accidents, domestic violence, and unwanted pregnancies," Kalyakorn said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Showbiz-celebs-under-fire-over-alcohol-posts-on-so-30270568.html

-- The Nation 2015-10-10

[Somtamnication]

Too much money involved. It will never happen.

[canuckamuck]

So many possible causes to get behind, why are these kids wasting their time worrying about alcohol advertising? It's a legal product and is covered by rather extreme laws already.

[taff33]

It's a pity that those young ladies couldn't find some thing more constructive to do with their lives.

[Wilsonandson]

So many possible causes to get behind, why are these kids wasting their time worrying about alcohol advertising? It's a legal product and is covered by rather extreme laws already.

The're not wasting their time. They are proving a point which is, a celebrity is a role model to young people and shouldn't be promoting the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is just as bad for your health as smoking. Liver disease and heart disease. Yes, it's legal to drink when your over 21 here and smoke when your 18 but when you are a celebrity who children idolize, then its sending all the wrong messages to them. The message from the young people is why are you promoting alcohol? That is bad, isn't it? Well my hero drinks alcohol, I can drink alcohol as well.

[MESmith]

Time to purge my Instagram & FB accounts, methinks

[mike324]

So many possible causes to get behind, why are these kids wasting their time worrying about alcohol advertising? It's a legal product and is covered by rather extreme laws already.

The're not wasting their time. They are proving a point which is, a celebrity is a role model to young people and shouldn't be promoting the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is just as bad for your health as smoking. Liver disease and heart disease. Yes, it's legal to drink when your over 21 here and smoke when your 18 but when you are a celebrity who children idolize, then its sending all the wrong messages to them. The message from the young people is why are you promoting alcohol? That is bad, isn't it? Well my hero drinks alcohol, I can drink alcohol as well.

Its quite silly that one can't promote whatever they want even though its unhealthy, that is why we have laws for it. Thai law is already very harsh with advertising for tobacco and alcohol, it can't get any worse. If the girls / teens are serious about the cause, perhaps they should ask for stricter ID checks when purchasing alcohol, and bigger fines for drunk driving.

How many of the girls friends post on instagram and fb with drinks in their hands on the weekends?

[jonclark]

So many possible causes to get behind, why are these kids wasting their time worrying about alcohol advertising? It's a legal product and is covered by rather extreme laws already.

The're not wasting their time. They are proving a point which is, a celebrity is a role model to young people and shouldn't be promoting the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is just as bad for your health as smoking. Liver disease and heart disease. Yes, it's legal to drink when your over 21 here and smoke when your 18 but when you are a celebrity who children idolize, then its sending all the wrong messages to them. The message from the young people is why are you promoting alcohol? That is bad, isn't it? Well my hero drinks alcohol, I can drink alcohol as well.

Prove they were promoting and not just having a drink. I see loads of people adding pictures of food - Sat in Fuji with their sashimi etc. Are they promoting Fuji / sashimi or just posting stupid waste of space photos of them having something to eat?

Some over zealous cultural knobwomble has got a bee in his / her bonnet and has jumped off at the deep end.....and the brain dead have followed.

[jonclark]

So many possible causes to get behind, why are these kids wasting their time worrying about alcohol advertising? It's a legal product and is covered by rather extreme laws already.

The're not wasting their time. They are proving a point which is, a celebrity is a role model to young people and shouldn't be promoting the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is just as bad for your health as smoking. Liver disease and heart disease. Yes, it's legal to drink when your over 21 here and smoke when your 18 but when you are a celebrity who children idolize, then its sending all the wrong messages to them. The message from the young people is why are you promoting alcohol? That is bad, isn't it? Well my hero drinks alcohol, I can drink alcohol as well.

Prove they were promoting and not just having a drink. I see loads of people adding pictures of food - Sat in Fuji with their sashimi etc. Are they promoting Fuji / sashimi or just posting stupid waste of space photos of them having something to eat?

Some over zealous cultural knobwomble has got a bee in his / her bonnet and has jumped off at the deep end.....and the brain dead have followed.

[gandalf12]

The difference between people posting themselves eating and these "celebrities" is that people, young people in particular see the photos and think "My idol drinks that I will drink it as I want to be the same as him or her". Stupid I agree but as they say there is nowt as queer as folk.

In the West in the 30's the movie stars were idolised by people. Same sort of thing just a different time era.

[drronnie]

The difference between people posting themselves eating and these "celebrities" is that people, young people in particular see the photos and think "My idol drinks that I will drink it as I want to be the same as him or her". Stupid I agree but as they say there is nowt as queer as folk.

In the West in the 30's the movie stars were idolised by people. Same sort of thing just a different time era.

The issue here is these stars showing them drinking a certian brand so one can assume that they were paid to do this. If people on Facebook are shown with a beer glass there could be no problems

[gandalf12]

The difference between people posting themselves eating and these "celebrities" is that people, young people in particular see the photos and think "My idol drinks that I will drink it as I want to be the same as him or her". Stupid I agree but as they say there is nowt as queer as folk.

In the West in the 30's the movie stars were idolised by people. Same sort of thing just a different time era.

The issue here is these stars showing them drinking a certian brand so one can assume that they were paid to do this. If people on Facebook are shown with a beer glass there could be no problems

Even if they actually did drink it they wouldnt allow a photo with it unless they got paid