H-3470

AN ACT Relating to banning liquor advertising in campus publications; amending RCW 66.28.160; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that adult citizens of this state have the right to use alcohol in a responsible manner. However, the illegal use of alcohol by minors, the high incidence of driving while under the influence of alcohol, the health risks associated with the abuse of alcohol, and the large number of alcohol-related crimes in Washington state are all compelling problems that are directly related to the amount and kind of alcohol advertising presented in the media.

Alcohol is an illegal drug for persons under twenty-one years of age, yet it has been estimated that over fifty thousand students in grades six to twelve in Washington schools can be considered heavy drinkers and over fifty percent have tried alcohol. Almost one-half of the deaths and almost one-quarter of the disabling injuries on Washington highways result from accidents involving drivers under the influence of alcohol. As a class, young people are greatly over represented in the number of alcohol-related collisions. Alcohol-related accidents are the leading cause of death of sixteen to twenty-four year olds in the United States.

Alcohol abuse has been linked to a wide array of family and health problems, causing much pain and suffering. The treatment of these problems raises the cost of health care for all citizens of the state. Approximately one hundred forty-five babies are born in Washington each year with fetal alcohol syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the third leading cause of mental retardation in the United States.

More than one-third of the arrests in the United States each year are related to alcohol abuse. Taxpayers in the United States pay one hundred fifty million dollars a year for the arrest, trial, and jail time of these people.

The legislature further finds that advertising has a tremendous effect on the attitudes, beliefs, social behavior, and consumer behavior of citizens of all ages, especially young persons. Many advertisers have taken advantage of the eager young market by explicitly or implicitly purveying the message that alcohol contributes to a person's attractiveness, athletic ability, professional ability, or social status. Advertisers have also attempted to make alcohol appealing to young people by linking alcohol to various animated characters and mascots. Moreover, some alcohol advertisements convey a sexist message by objectifying women.

Recognizing the severity of the problems associated with alcohol use and abuse, and recognizing the broad power of the state, under the twenty-first amendment to the Constitution of the United States, to regulate the sale of liquor, the state seeks to act to minimize the use and abuse of alcohol. Therefore, for the express purpose of: (1) Discouraging the illegal use of alcohol by minors; (2) reducing the abuse of alcohol in Washington, and thereby reducing the health and societal problems associated with alcohol abuse; and (3) eliminating the pervasive advertising that powerfully links alcohol consumption with "the good life" in the minds of many young people, the state hereby bans the advertising of liquor in campus publications.

Sec. 2. RCW 66.28.160 and 1985 c 352 s 20 are each amended to read as follows:

No liquor manufacturer, importer, wholesaler, retailer, agent thereof, or campus representative of any of the foregoing, may conduct promotional activities for any liquor product on the campus of any college or university nor may any such entities engage in activities that facilitate or promote the consumption of alcoholic beverages by the students of the college or university at which the activity takes place. This section does not prohibit the following:

(1) The sale of alcoholic beverages, by retail licensees on their licensed premises, to persons of legal age and condition to consume alcoholic beverages;

(2) Sponsorship of broadcasting services for events on a college or university campus; or

(3) ((~~Liquor advertising in campus publications; or~~

~~(4)~~)) Financial assistance to an activity and acknowledgment of the source of the assistance, if the assistance, activity, and acknowledgment are each approved by the college or university administration.