State Regulation of Alcohol Advertising; Results of a Legal Analysis

Research studies have established that exposure to alcohol advertising influences youth drinking practices and drinking problems as well as their beliefs about alcohol and intention to drink. Reducing youth exposure is therefore an important public health goal. Numerous policy options exist to meet this goal, but they have been largely ignored. This is particularly true at the State level. Virtually all States have a State Alcoholic Beverage Control agency that has extensive authority to regulate alcohol marketing and availability, yet these agencies have little or no engagement with this issue. In 2003, the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth commissioned a legal analysis of State alcohol advertising youth exposure laws (policies mostly administered by State ABC agencies), resulting in a comprehensive, state-by-state analysis. The report has now been expanded and updated to 2010. The research establishes the existence of at least eight policies and legal restrictions that, if effectively implemented, have the potential for substantially reducing youth exposure to alcohol advertising. This presentation will provide background regarding each of the major policies analyzed, assess the extent to which the relevant laws exist across States, describe their role in reducing youth exposure, outline their relationship to federal and local policy initiatives, and discuss their role in a comprehensive strategy for reducing youth alcohol problems. It will include an examination of trends since the 2003 report and an assessment of barriers to effective implementation.