Carnival ad raises red flag on underage drinking

Carnival time is associated with wild drinking. In anticipation of the Carnival season, the Ministry of Justice launched a campaign on Monday (Feb. 24) to raise awareness among youth under legal drinking age to the negative effects of alcohol. Under the slogan “Bebeu, perdeu” (loosely translated as “When you drink, you're missing out”), the campaign is also designed to remind markets that selling alcohol to children under 18 is prohibited pursuant to the Child and Adolescent Statute, with violations subject to fines and up to four years' imprisonment.

Five campaign videos have been posted to the ministry's YouTube channel showing scenarios of young people in awkward situations caused by alcohol consumption. These videos will also be shown in cinemas in cities with strong street carnival traditions including Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto, and Recife.

The campaign was based on a 2010 survey conducted by the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), which found that 60% of youth had had alcohol at least once. Among them, 15.4% were aged between 10 and 12, and 43.6% between 13 and 15.

According to Justice Minister José Eduardo Cardozo, “Alcohol drinking is a tricky issue – especially when it comes to teenagers. So we are urging traders to abide by the law and not sell alcohol to underage people, calling on local authorities to keep a close watch, and teenagers of course, trying to show them how enjoyable life can be without alcohol.”

The National Secretary for Drug Policy, Vitore Maximiano, noted that drinking alcohol under legal age becomes an even greater concern as it is easily available at home: “Many get alcohol from their own family , which only encourages consumption and presents us a huge challenge,” the secretary remarked.

The campaign budget was a little over $2 million, and the videos will be allowed to air free of charge on commercial TV stations as public information ads.

Translated by Mayra Borges