Commercials for Beer, Wine Under Attack

An emotion-charged battle is brewing on Capitol Hill over the use of beer and wine commercials on radio and television--and particularly over endorsements by celebrities who appear in the ads.

On one side, a grass-roots coalition of education, religious and public-interest groups wants to ban the TV ads--such as those featuring former sports figures Billy Martin, Dick Butkus and John Madden--on the grounds that they glamorize drinking and contribute to alcohol abuse.

On the other side, broadcasters, brewers, wine producers and advertising agencies argue that a ban would do little to curb Americans’ misuse of alcohol. They have formed a powerful alliance aimed at thwarting efforts to ban the commercials, on which $750 million is spent annually.

The bitter controversy has attracted the attention of groups and local governments across the nation and is being watched carefully in California, the nation’s largest producer and consumer of beer and wine. And, although an outright federal ban on the ads seems unlikely at this time, the debate has raised complex issues not likely to be resolved soon.

‘Runaway Freight Train’

The dispute--described as “a runaway freight train”--was formally aired in the new Congress for the first time Thursday at a hearing of the Senate Labor and Human Resources subcommittee on alcohol and drug abuse.

“We need to learn once and for all whether a connection in fact exists” between advertising and alcohol abuse, said Sen. Paula Hawkins (R-Fla.), the subcommittee chairman. And, she noted, “the jury is still out in my mind.”

The drive to ban the commercials is being spearheaded by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based health advocacy group. Other members of the diverse coalition opposed to the ads include the National Parent-Teacher Assn., the United Methodist, Mormon and Southern Baptist churches and the National Council on Alcoholism.

So far, the coalition has collected more than 650,000 signatures on a petition to bolster its appeal for major changes in alcohol advertising. It seeks a ban on the beer and wine ads or equal time for free health messages, as well as an end to the use of athletes and other celebrities in those commercials.

‘To Glamorize Alcohol’

“Objective minds can hardly deny that the overall effect of the ads is to glamorize alcohol and foster the notion that drinking is the key to achieving personal goals,” said Michael F. Jacobson, the center’s executive director.

Elaine Stienkemeyer, president of the 5.5-million-member National PTA, charged that alcohol ads are broadcast indiscriminately to audiences that include children and teen-agers. Unless these ads are eliminated or counteracted, she said, “society will continue to give our youth confusing and contradictory messages about alcohol use and abuse.”

On the other side, broadcasters and beer and wine producers contend that a ban would violate their First Amendment rights to free speech and would accomplish little. Instead, they maintain that public education efforts that they have already launched--including public service announcements about drunk driving--are more effective.

The industries have vowed to fight for what the National Assn. of Broadcasters calls “our No. 1 priority.” Stephen K. Lambright, vice president of Anheuser-Busch Cos., declared: “An ad ban would be harmful and unfair since it would represent a statement by government to 100 million consumers that they are doing something wrong merely by drinking a beer.”

No Professional Athletes

Brewers also note that they recently have tightened their advertising code and that they voluntarily refrain from using active professional athletes in the commercials. Hard liquor commercials on radio and TV have been banned since the mid-1950s.

And John A. De Luca, president of the San Francisco-based Wine Institute, said his industry’s more stringent advertising code bans use of rock stars, athletes or anyone under 25 years old and stresses showing wine with food.

“Our advertising does not contribute to the problems of alcoholism, excessive drinking, under-age drinking or drunk driving,” he said.

Broadcasters also pointed out that there has been a decline in casual drinking by characters on many TV shows. For example, Larry Stewart of the Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors said in a videotaped appearance that actors no longer routinely reach for a drink in such popular shows as “Magnum P.I.,” “Matt Houston” or “Dallas.”

Urges Industry to Act

Federal Trade Commission Chairman James C. Miller III, whose agency has been reviewing regulations on beer and wine commercials, said it is unlikely that the commission will soon issue an industrywide ruling on such advertising. Nonetheless, he urged the beer and wine industry “to clean up their act” and remove any questionable ads aimed at young people.

Another federal agency, the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, is expected within a month to propose rules dealing with the use of celebrity spokesmen in commercials.

Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.) was scheduled as the lead witness at the hearing but did not appear. An aide said the senator has decided not to take part in any discussion or vote on the issue because his wife holds stock in Anheuser-Busch, even though the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee told Wilson that he saw no conflict of interest.