Alcohol Advertising Policies in the United States: National Promotion and Control initiatives

Abstract

This article describes policy developments in alcohol advertising and counter-advertising at the U.S. national level, including federally mandated warning labels on alcoholic beverage containers, the campaign for health warnings on broadcast advertising, the end of the voluntary ban on advertising of distilled spirits on television and radio, and the debate concerning a health-benefits label on wine products. Federal legislative documents and media accounts provided the context for 64 key-informant interviews with persons working for the federal government, the alcohol industry, public health, and research and media organizations. A decline in per capita alcohol consumption in the 1980s and 1990s and concurrent demographic shifts in the U.S. population have given impetus to controversial advertising campaigns and their opposition. The policy case studies show disagreement among key players about the impact of advertising on consumption and problems, need for controls, benefits of regulation and counter-advertising, and need for federal-level legislation.