A Report
from the
Inter-Association
Task Force
on Alcohol
and Other
Substance
Abuse Issues

Guidelines
for Beverage Alcohol Marketing
on Campus

  1. Alcohol beverage marketing programs specifically targeted for students and/or held on campus should conform to the code of student conduct of the institution and should avoid demeaning sexual or discriminatory portrayal of individuals.
  2. Promotion of beverage alcohol should not encourage any form of alcohol abuse nor should it place emphasis on quantity and frequency of use.
  3. Beverage alcohol, such as kegs or cases of beer, should not be provided as free awards to individual students or campus organizations.
  4. No uncontrolled sampling as part of campus marketing programs should be permitted, and no sampling or other promotional activities should include”drinking contests.”
  5. Where controlled sampling is allowed by law and institutional policy, it should be limited as to time and quantity. Principles of good hosting should be observed including availability of alternative beverages, food and planned programs. The consumption of beer, wine or distilled spirits should not be the sole purpose of any promotional activity.
  6. Promotional activities should not be associated with otherwise existing campus events or programs without the prior knowledge and consent of appropriate institutional officials.
  7. Display or availability of promotional materials should be determined in consultation with appropriate institutional officials.
  8. Informational marketing programs should have educational value and subscribe to the philosophy of responsible and legal use of the products represented.
  9. Beverage alcohol marketers should support campus alcohol awareness programs that encourage informed and responsible decisions about the use or non-use of beer, wine or distilled spirits.
  10. Beverage alcohol advertising on campus or in institutional media, including event or product advertisements, if permitted, should not portray drinking as a solution to personal or academic problems of students or as necessary for social, sexual or academic success.
  11. Advertising and other promotional campus activities should not associate beverage alcohol consumption with the performance of tasks that require skilled reactions, such as the operation of motor vehicles or machinery.
  12. Local off-campus promotional activities that are primarily directed to students should be developed with the previous knowledge of appropriate institutional officials.

  • Be Vocal.
    College presidents should openly and publicly acknowledge that alcohol and other drug abuse problems exist and then reach out to campus, community, and state-level groups to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for prevention.
  • Be Visible.
    College presidents should take an active stand on alcohol and other drug issues, convey clear expectations and standards, and serve as a role model to other senior administrators, faculty, and students.
  • Be Visionary.
    College presidents should make alcohol and other drug abuse prevention a priority in their strategic plan for the school.

    • The Presidents Leadership Group Report
    The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention

    “Fake IDs can be snapped up for as little as $20, and although about 60 percent of underage college drinkers say they carry them, many say using them is hardly necessary. …
    Consequences for getting caught [for alcohol offenses] range from written warning to mandatory alcohol counseling, and while repeat offenders can be ousted from a dorm and even expelled, such cases are reportedly rare…”

    “Students Keep Alcohol in Curriculum,”
    USA Today, March 30, 1998
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Collegiate Alcohol Abuse: Recommendations and Guidelines