David J. Hanson

The following viewpoint by sociologist David J. Hanson was inspired by hearings held by the New York state legislature on alcohol advertising, which aimed to determine whether such advertising has an effect on youth drinking. Hanson asserts that there is no scientific evidence demonstrating that advertisements encourage alcohol consumption or alcohol abuse by teenagers. He criticizes advocates of alcohol advertising bans for relying on “junk science” to support their arguments. Hanson is a sociology professor at the State University of New York at Potsdam and the author of Alcohol Education: What We Must Do.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. To whom does Hanson compare critics of alcohol advertising?
2. What distinction does the author make between correlation and causation?
3. How do alcohol advertising critics misuse language, according to...