Pharmaceutical manufacturers are warning that President Trump’s September memo to crack down on misleading prescription drug advertising may be a step toward censorship. I see it differently. As someone who once fell for the powerful messaging of the alcohol industry, I am glad the president is asking whether these ads are truly serving people or subconsciously harming them.

Fifteen years ago, I believed what the commercials told me. Another drink meant more fun, more connection, more of the life I thought I wanted. It reduced the stress of my work and prevented me from feeling the pains of childhood difficulties. But it also created enormous challenges that caught up to me a few years ago, as my husband and I replaced love with verbal fights in front of our two children.

I do not blame alcohol companies for the choices I made, but as a communications professional, I know the story they sold played a role in my addiction. Nobody remembers every individual ad, but they imprint on our brains each and every time we see them.

The memo’s directives to the Food and Drug Administration recognize this simple fact in two ways. First, it pushes back against news outlets and platforms that too often serve as megaphones for paid narratives without proper disclosures. Second, it calls for reestablishing enforcement norms that regulators have........

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