What are alcohol sponsorship restrictions and how do they work?

Restrictions on alcohol sponsorship refer to the control of alcohol-related sponsors at community events. Sponsors can include large alcohol producers, local breweries/wineries, or retailers such as bars or restaurants. Sponsors provide financial support for the event in return for promotions and advertisements at the event. Sponsorship may take different forms, including: (1) use of the sponsor's name in conjunction with the event; and/or (2) promotional items (such as t-shirts, flashlights, etc.) with the sponsor's logo.

Restrictions on sponsorship can be instituted through a local ordinance or state law, or can be implemented voluntarily by a business, event or organization. Examples include:
Prohibiting alcohol sponsorship of auto races, sporting events, and cultural festivals.

• Prohibiting the distribution of alcohol promotional items
• Prohibiting an alcohol producer's or retailer's name from being associated with an event, particularly if youth are in attendance.
• Prohibiting signs with an alcohol sponsor's name from being displayed at an event, particularly if youth are in attendance.
  

Why alcohol sponsorship restrictions are important for your community

• Alcohol promotions at concerts, community festivals or sporting events may send the message that alcohol is needed to have fun or to excel in athletics. Restrictions on alcohol sponsorship send the message that people don't need alcohol to have a good time or to be a better athlete.

• Large alcohol producers often sponsor activities such as bike and auto races, large rock concerts and community festivals - activities that, when combined with drinking alcohol, can lead to serious problems. Restrictions on sponsorship can prevent alcohol from being inappropriately associated with these types of events. (1)

ISSUE: The alcohol industry will likely fight such an ordinance, claiming that their companies have a right to promote alcohol because it is a legal substance.
RESPONSE: Event organizers have a right to choose their sponsorship and negotiate the amount of prominence a product will receive at their events.

Note: Community members are strongly urged to consult with a local attorney to learn about state law requirements before attempting to pass a local ordinance to restrict alcohol sponsorship.

How alcohol sponsorship restrictions fit into a larger context

Restrictions on alcohol sponsorship provide a clear message that alcohol at community events is not a necessity. In addition, policies that reduce youth access to alcohol such as keg registration (see keg registration summary) and compliance checks (see compliance checks summary) are needed in communities.

What other communities have done

In Oakland, California, citizens became angered by the alcohol industry sponsorship of their annual Cinco de Mayo festival. Historically, this holiday was not associated with drinking but alcohol companies began promoting the holiday with an onslaught of nationwide advertising in the 1980s. In 1990, a group in Oakland called Hispanos Unidos organized people in the community to find non-alcohol sponsors for their Cinco de Mayo festival. The group was successful, and the event was as well-attended in 1990 as in previous years. Since this success, similar efforts to stop alcohol sponsorship of Cinco de Mayo festivities have occurred throughout the U.S. (1, 2)

1. Sharp, W. Mad at the ads: A citizen's guide to challenging alcohol advertising practices. Washington, DC: Center for Science in the Public Interest. October, 1992.
2. Gallegos B. Our culture is not for sale! A campaign to reclaim Cinco de Mayo from the alcohol industry. In: Case Histories in Alcohol Policy, J. Streiker, ed. San Francisco, CA: The Trauma Foundation. 2002.
   

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