Whereas college and university presidents have cited alcohol consumption as the number one health problem on college and university campuses;

Whereas the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and many others find that alcohol causes serious harm to college students, including more than 1,700 deaths, 599,000 injuries, 696,000 assaults on students by another student who had been drinking, and more than 97,000 alcohol-related sexual assaults or date rapes; (“A Snapshot of Annual High-Risk College Drinking Consequences”, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism fact sheet, 9/23/2005)

Whereas a 2002 study on alcohol by the Harvard School of Public Health reveals that 44% of college students are “binge drinkers”; (Trends in College Binge Drinking During a Period of Increased Prevention Efforts: Findings from Four Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Surveys 1993-2001”)

Whereas research has found that college students who are sports fans are more likely to engage in binge drinking behavior, including extreme drinking habits and participation in drink price specials and beer-company promotions; (School spirits: Alcohol and collegiate sports fans, Nelson TF, Wechsler H. 
Addictive Behaviors. 2003; 28(1): 1-11.)

Whereas a study by the National Center on Alcohol and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in 2003 published in JAMA found that up to 20 percent of all alcohol in America is consumed by underage drinkers; (“Underage and Adult Excessive Drinking Accounts for Half of U.S. Alcohol Sales,” Susan Foster et.al, National Center on Alcohol and Substance Abuse,  JAMA February 27, 2003)

Whereas approximately 60 percent of all alcohol advertising on television is on sports broadcasts, including more than $50 million per year on college sports broadcasts; (“Alcohol Advertising on Sports Television 2001 to 2003,” The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University, http://camy.org/factsheets/pdf/AlcoholAdvertisingSportsTelevision2001-2003.pdf)

Whereas more than 40 percent of all alcohol advertising on televised college sports is on telecasts of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the bulk of the rest appears on the major college athletic conference (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, PAC 10) telecasts; (“Alcohol Advertising on Sports Television 2001 to 2003,” The Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University, http://camy.org/factsheets/pdf/AlcoholAdvertisingSportsTelevision2001-2003.pdf)

Whereas a growing body of research shows that increased exposure to alcohol ads is related to a higher likelihood that a young person will choose to drink and will drink in heavier amounts; (“Effects of Alcohol Advertising Exposure on Drinking Among Youth,” Leslie Snyder et al., Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 2006; 160: 18-24.)

Whereas a study co-sponsored by ESPN found that in 2001, 93% of youth ages eight to 17 watched, listened to or read about sports via television, radio, newspapers, books, the Internet, video games and the movies. Television is the medium used most for sports by the majority of these youth (93% of boys, 81% of girls); (Statistical Research, Inc., AAF/ESPN Children and Sports Media Study, 2001)

Whereas a report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommends that colleges and universities ban alcohol advertising and promotion on campus in order to demonstrate their commitment to discouraging alcohol use among underage students; (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility, R.J. Bonnie and M.E. O’Connell, eds (Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2004)

Whereas the AMA has adopted policy to actively support and work for a total statutory prohibition of advertising of all alcoholic beverages except for inside retail or wholesale outlets; (AMA Policy Consolidation H-30.940 (3) )

Whereas AMA policy urges college and university authorities to bar alcoholic beverage companies from sponsoring athletic events, music concerts, cultural events, and parties on school campuses, and from advertising their products or their logo in school publications; (AMA Policy Consolidation H-30.940 (3) (d) )

Whereas AMA policy further urges its constituent state associations to support state legislation to bar the promotion of alcoholic beverage consumption on school campuses and in advertising in school publications; (AMA Policy Consolidation H-30.940 (3) (e) and

Whereas the AMA has publicly and forcefully called on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its member schools to ban alcohol ads on its broadcasts and “join the AMA and others in working to change an environment that encourages young people to drink through the heavy promotion of alcohol.” (“AMA calls on NCAA to ban booze ads,” April 27, 2005)

Resolved, That our AMA enhance its efforts to end alcohol advertising on sports broadcasts and particularly on college sports broadcasts; and be it further

Resolved, That our AMA, to reach this goal, work with others to place special emphasis on college athletic conferences that are now or soon will be negotiating broadcast rights contracts, taking steps that include, but are not limited to:

• Appealing directly to the NCAA, the major athletic conferences (Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and PAC 10), and member schools to end alcohol ads on their broadcasts;
• Encouraging physicians, particularly those in or associated with college communities, to express their opposition to alcohol ads directly to top college administrators;
• Urging state and local medical associations to contact colleges in their jurisdictions – particularly in the above conferences – and press them to end alcohol ads on their broadcasts; 
• Urging state and local medical associations to call on state legislatures to pass resolutions requesting  colleges in their state to end alcohol ads on their broadcasts; and
• Organizing a “sign-on” letter from medical societies to the NCAA President and Executive Committee urging an end to alcohol ads on NCAA broadcasts.