York Region pulls controversial ads targeting young women and binge drinking
Posters aimed at female frosh partiers

yorkregion.com
Aug. 30, 2017
By Kim Zarzour

York Region’s public health department has axed an anti-drinking ad campaign targeting young women after it unleashed a firestorm of angry feedback.

“How on earth was this campaign approved?” Claire van Nierop tweeted. “Paying for ads shaming young women and victim-blaming.”

In mid-August, posters warning women it takes them less alcohol to get drunk than men were posted in female washrooms at York University and in Toronto restaurants and bars.

The ad campaign was timed to coincide with frosh week and the return of students to post-secondary school, said Ann Ramkay, acting director of the healthy living division with the region’s public health department.

The condemnation was swift, beginning Aug. 24 on social media, with critics saying the ads were insulting and “paternalistic”.

“Don’t try to keep up with the guys,” the posters read. A young woman is shown looking dismayed at cellphone photos of her involved in a night of heavy partying.

“It’s not just about keeping an eye on your drink, but how much you drink,” the ad reads.

“Hey @YorkRegionGovt what's up with the sexist ads in @cityoftoronto bars? So women don't get raped or roofied they are just drunks?” Shannon Hunter posted on Twitter.

“It's in the bathroom, women often ask friends to watch their drink while they go to the washroom so they can feel safe that nothing will be put in their drink," Hunter elaborated on Facebook. "This is condescending crap that assumes women are unintelligent and incapable of making smart choices, it's also victim blaming — because watch your drink and your consumption or get raped.”

“The take-away of this 'advertisement': Men are better at drinking, women aren't as good. So maybe you should watch your drink because bad things will happen, and it'll be your fault because we told you this on this sign,” Amanda Lynne Ballard commented.

“While I think substance abuse is an important issue, the ad was not a successful way to address this. People’s bodies are different and the gender statistic is an old and general one. Also, if this ad did go up, I would hope that there was an equal advert in men’s bathrooms that warned about substance abuse and impaired judgment,” tweeted Lisa Milosavljevic.

Melissa Pinto, health educator for the region, said no ads were posted in men’s washrooms.

“This campaign was primarily targeted to women because we want to raise awareness that even when women drink the same amounts as men, women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently.”

In response to the “concerning feedback”, the region released a statement Aug. 25 apologizing to those who took offence.

The region suspended the campaign, removed the link from its website and said all posters should be gone by end of day Wednesday.

“The intent of the campaign was to raise awareness about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and binge drinking,” Ramkay said, adding the young female demographic being targeted in the campaign often frequent Toronto establishments.

Women are greater risk because they often weigh less, have more fat tissue, less water in their bodies and lower levels of enzymes that break down alcohol, she said.

To learn more, visit RethinkYourDrinking.ca