Busch Lobbies Against Ban on College Alcohol Ads

A bill that endorses -- but does not mandate -- a ban on alcohol ads during radio and TV broadcasts of college sporting events is being strongly opposed by brewer Anheuser-Busch, the Associated Press reported Oct. 9.

The Stop Underage Drinking Act calls for the ban in its preamble but does not legislate a prohibition on college sports advertising by alcohol companies. But Anheuser-Busch President August Busch IV nonetheless called the measure "misguided" and "an untrue, unfair and damaging indictment of our industry."

The measure also would provide funding for community and college-based efforts to prevent alcohol over-consumption and underage use.

The alcohol industry has worked to tie the measure up in a Congressional committee. "The incredible thing here is that the substance of the bill is something we could support," Busch recently told a Beer Institute meeting. "But unfortunately, it is a sad fact of politics today that critics of our industry can insist on the inclusion of these provisions at the expense of a truly collaborative effort to produce effective solutions to issues like underage drinking."

Chuck Hurley, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said the brewer's opposition to the bill was disappointing. "Given the extraordinary problems of underage drinking, to think they are the ones who should be deciding what colleges and universities around the country do is pretty astounding," Hurley said.