The American Medical Association is the latest organization to call on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to eliminate alcohol advertising associated with NCAA events. A coalition of consumer groups and college coaches made a similar demand last month.
"The prevalence of alcohol advertising in college sports sends a damaging message about the core values of the NCAA and higher education, said AMA President-elect J. Edward Hill, M.D. "Allowing aggressive alcohol advertising during its events only encourages underage consumption of alcohol."
The AMA appeal comes as NCAA Division I officials meet in Indianapolis, Ind., to review current policy allowing beer advertising during radio and television broadcasts of collegiate sporting events.
"Using collegiate sports to flood the airwaves with alcohol ads undermines efforts to combat binge drinking that occurs among nearly 44 percent of full-time college students," said Dr. Hill.
"The NCAA must end their relationships with the alcohol industry if they really expect a change in the excessive drinking behavior of college students that results in 1,700 student deaths, 600,000 assaults and 70,000 sexual assaults and date rapes each year."
Americans agree. In a national poll conducted this month by the AMA, 62 percent of American adults said the NCAA should reverse its policy and not allow beer companies to advertise during college sporting events. The poll was funded as part of the AMA's partnership with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Other key findings from the recent AMA poll on alcohol, advertising and college sports:
• 71 percent of all adults agreed that American colleges should not use their sports programs and teams to expose students to alcohol advertising and marketing.
• 69 percent of all adults agreed that alcohol advertising in college sports sends the wrong message to children, teens and students.
• 67 percent of adults agreed that alcohol advertising is attractive to, and targets, underage youth.
• 66 percent of adults agreed that alcohol consumption among college students is a public health problem.
"Underage drinking is already an epidemic in the United States with an estimated 10 million youth reported to be drinking illegally. College campuses have an obligation to provide safe and healthy environments. As a physician, I know all too well the dangers posed to underage youth by early alcohol use," Dr. Hill said.
