Bills introduced to extend alcohol health/risk warnings to advertisements.

Bills Introduced to Extend Alcohol Health/Risk Warnings to Advertisements

Dear Reader:

A major legislative effort is under way to extend health and risk warnings, recently implemented for containers of alcoholic beverages, to advertising, including print media, radio and television and promotional displays. Sen. Albert Gore (D-TN) and Rep. Joseph Kennedy II (D-MA) introduced identical bills in Senate and House requiring rotating warning statements about health and safety risks related to alcohol to be included in advertising of wine, beer and distilled spirits.

Alcohol Advertising

Announcement of the legislative effort was made at an April 4 Capitol Hill news conference by the two law-makers and representatives of the Coalition on Alcohol Advertising and Family Education - coordinated by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and made up of organizations ranging from the American Academy of Pediatrics to Remove Intoxicated Drivers.

Representatives of the advertising industry immediately attacked the legislation, warning that it could spell the end of 15-second and 30-second commercials for beer and wine on radio and television.

Kennedy introduced the House bill (HR-4493) on April 4, and Gore dropped identical legislation (S-2439) in the hopper the following day. Gore helped lead the successful legislative effort two years ago to mandate health/risk warnings on alcoholic beverage containers. He is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over labeling and advertising.

Entitled the "Sensible Advertising and Family Education Act," the bill would require rotating …