Restrict Alcohol Advertising in a Community
Restrictions on alcohol advertising include any policies that limit advertising of alcoholic beverages, particularly advertising that exposes young people to alcohol messages. Restrictions can be in the form of a local ordinance or state law, or can be implemented voluntarily by a business, event or organization.
The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) has a variety of materials that can be helpful when community members look to restrict alcohol advertising in their area.
The resources:
State Laws to Reduce the Impact of Alcohol Marketing on Youth: Current Status and Model Policies
In 2003, to support efforts at the state level to reduce youth exposure to alcohol marketing, CAMY issued a report on state advertising laws. It identified key state regulatory strategies that can be effective in reducing youth exposure to alcohol advertising, assessed state practices, and reviewed each state’s law. The report was designed to provide a means for each state to evaluate priorities for enforcement and statutory and regulatory reform. This report updates the earlier research from 2003 to the states’ 2010 legislative sessions, identifying trends across states and highlighting recent activities by state agencies to reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising.
It gives comprehensive summaries of the types of laws surveyed and suggests best practices for each; it does not review state administrative rules or case law. View the report.
Can a Local Ordinance Limit Alcohol Sponsorship and Advertising? An Introduction
Communities are concerned about alcohol companies sponsoring local events that are popular with families and young people. This brief guide provides helpful information for those interested in limiting alcohol sponsorship of community events and includes brief discussions of commercial speech issues, the roles of local government bodies and what constitutes public property. View the guide.
Additional sources of information:
For more information on state and federal policies on alcohol advertising and marketing, see the Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS).
For more information on assessing your community’s strengths and weaknesses in their existing alcohol advertising policies and practices, see "Preventing Underage Alcohol Access: Essential Elements for Policy, Deterrence and Public Support."