Ads that Lie Every day of our lives, ads send messages about drinking and smoking that just are not true. It's time we learned how to 1 ourselves and our kids from these dangerous lies. At the 2 of a long day at work or school, many of us come home and flip on the television. What do we see? We will probably see a TV ad showing healthy young people drinking beer and enjoy life. Maybe they are at the beach, on the ski slopes, or at a party. By the time we are old enough to vote, we will have seen this kind of TV commercial more than 75,000 times. These ads suggest that drinking is part of a fun-filled life. Is that really true? Not at all. Studies show that drinking leads to car accidents, fighting, loss of memory, birth defects, and more. Ads for smoking are no better. In magazines and on signs, beautiful young people puff on cigarettes as they enjoy fun-filled 3 like games of volleyball or tennis. But by now, we know that smoking is not part of a healthy life. In real life, top athletes—those who have real 4 --don't reach for a cigarette at game time. They know that smoking will harm their bodies and can lead to cancer, heart disease, and lung problems. If you are an adult and you drink and smoke, that's your choice. But young children who don't know the truth, these ads are dangerous. Cigarettes and beer won't give them strength, good looks, or lots of friends. They will just make them sick. And that's the truth.