In today's society we are constantly reminded of the dangers involved in drinking alcohol, while at the same time beer drinking among college students has become the accepted norm on most campuses. Given the intense advertising campaigns of modern beer producers and the glamorous portrayal of drinking in the entertainment media, one might say that drinking in college is almost expected of American students. These mixed messages that young people receive concerning drinking have confused the issue. The glorification of beer as society's drink of choice is not a phenomenon of recent times. In the eighteenth century etchings entitled "Gin Lane" and "Beer Street", English satirist William Hogarth attempted to show the virtue of drinking beer in comparison to the evils involved with the consumption of gin. The contrast that he attempts to portray in these two opposing views of London city life stems from the popular notion that beer was a healthy alternative to other stronger forms of alcohol such as gin or whiskey.
Hogarth's "Gin Lane" is a depiction of the squalor and hopelessness associated with the addiction to gin. Upon close examination, one will notice William Hogarth's attention to detail in constructing the overall horrible image of poverty. Everywhere you look there are people holding gin glasses, as to show the extent to which gin has become a part of their lives. A sick woman in a wheelbarrow is being fed gin while a potentially violent crowd seems to be forming in front of the gin shop. Throughout the etching there are signs of the neglect normally associated with addiction. For instance, in the background, on either side of the street Hogarth shows structures that have fallen into disrepair. The building on the right is actually crumbling to the ground while the street itself is in ruin. Addiction of any sort has long been associated with child abuse, and there are a number of depictions of this in "Gin Lane".