Ore. Authorities Want Alcohol Out of Boating

Law enforcement and alcohol awareness leaders in Oregon are emphasizing that alcohol has no place in boating activity, adding that Anheuser-Busch's recent advertising changes in the wake of a fatality on the Columbia River still fall short.

At a joint news briefing on July 29, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and Oregon Partnership, a nonprofit drug and alcohol awareness organization, urged responsibility among both recreational boaters and the alcohol companies whose advertising often links boating and drinking.

"Each year there are needless deaths, accidents and injuries related to drinking and boating," said Lt. Monte Reiser of the Sheriff's River Patrol Office. "As we enter the peak boating season on the Columbia and the Willamette, we want to remind boaters to be responsible where alcohol is concerned."

Anheuser-Busch last month removed billboard advertising featuring a model on a personal watercraft after an alcohol-related boat accident that killed a 24-year-old man in Oregon. While the Oregon officials were pleased with the beer company's decision, they criticized the message of a replacement billboard promoting water safety.

Oregon Partnership CEO Judy Cushing said the replacement ad "implies that having a designated driver makes alcohol safe on the water. In fact, the opposite is true: according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, a drunken passenger is just as likely to die in a boating mishap as an intoxicated operator."

Cushing suggested that Anheuser-Busch should instead promote a billboard developed by the Oregon Marine Board with the no-use theme "Sober Boaters Know How to Live."