Legal Resources: Model Ordinances, Legal Memos and Guides

Can local ordinances limit alcohol sponsorship and advertising at local events?

• Communities are concerned about alcohol companies sponsoring local events that are popular with families and young people.

This brief guide provides helpful information for those interested in limiting alcohol sponsorship of community events and includes brief discussions of commercial speech issues, the roles of local government bodies and what constitutes public property.

Reducing youth exposure to alcohol marketing by limiting alcohol industry advertising and sponsorship on public property

• Protecting Underage Youth by Restricting Alcohol Industry Sponsorship and Signage at Community Events: First Amendment Considerations

This one-page chart acts as an accompaniment to other "Legal Resources" materials on restricting alcohol industry sponsorship and signage at events. It describes the constitutional tests that a court may apply to various types of these restrictions, from publicly sponsored events on public property to privately sponsored events on private property.

• Constitutionally Defensible Restrictions on Alcohol Advertising and Alcohol Sponsorship in State Publications and on State-Owned or State-Leased Lands

This pair of documents - a memorandum and a model ordinance with commentary - is designed for those interested in restricting alcohol marketing on state-owned, state-leased, or state-operated property. State properties considered in these documents include state publications, state university and college campuses, and state parks and state-owned buildings as well as state-sponsored civic events held within them.

• Draft Ordinance Restricting Alcoholic Beverage Sponsorship and Sponsorship Signs at Municipally Sponsored Events

Sponsorship is a significant portion of alcohol marketing. A legislated policy on alcohol sponsorship and signage provides guidance to both vendors and sponsors at local events. This model ordinance provides a tool for community members and local officials who are interested in limiting alcohol sponsorship on public property and offers an example for municipal attorneys to use when drafting proposals for their governing bodies' consideration.
 

Reducing youth exposure to alcohol marketing by limiting alcohol industry advertising and sponsorship: Model Legislation

• Model State Statute for Regulating Billboard and Other Forms of Outdoor Alcohol Advertising

This model ordinance was drafted as a state ban on outdoor advertising for alcoholic beverages within 500 feet of a school, church or park. The model generally follows the rules for billboard placement established in the voluntary guidelines of the Beer Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. The bill is drafted to provide local enforcement of this standard, which would be funded by fines collected from violators. A separate document with commentaries is also available.

• Individual State Authority to Protect Underage Youth by Regulating Placement of Alcohol Advertising Based on Statutory Provisions That Prohibit Unfair Competition

This memorandum focuses on one state - New Mexico - as a case study. It analyzes unfair competition or unfair trade practices laws and administrative and court decisions to determine what authorities state governments may have to protect youth by restricting the placement of alcohol advertising in media with disproportionately large youth audiences.