INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS House Resolution 575

THAT ALCOHOL ADVERTISING DURING BROADCASTS OF COLLEGIATE SPORTING EVENTS SHOULD BE TERMINATED
 -- (House of Representatives - March 29, 2004)

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   The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) is recognized for 5 minutes.

   Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, not long ago the National Academy of Science released a report on preventing underage drinking. This week, the Final Four NCAA basketball playoffs will occur. I believe there is a connection. The National Academy of Science report recommended that colleges and universities ban alcohol advertising and promotion on campus. Other important research points to the problem of alcohol consumption on college campuses. For example, the proportion of

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college students who say they drink to get drunk is rising. It is almost one-half. Underage drinking costs the United States $53 billion annually. There are roughly 3 million teenage alcoholics in our country. Despite these grim statistics concerning underage drinking, alcohol advertising accounts for more than one-half of college sports advertising revenue. The 2002 NCAA basketball tournament had more alcohol ads than the Super Bowl, World Series, college bowl games, and Monday Night Football combined. The basketball tournament has more than 16 times the rate of alcohol advertising as normal programming.

   A spokesperson from the NCAA recently said such advertising is ``not inconsistent with our mission.'' I guess I would beg to differ with that statement. The NCAA statement of purpose indicates that part of its mission is to prepare student athletes for lifetime leadership. The NCAA handbook states that NCAA policies should exclude advertisements that do not seem to be in the best interests of higher education.

   In view of the fact that nearly one-half of college students are binge drinkers; 1,400 college students die annually from alcohol-related incidents, which is the leading cause of death on the college campus; more than 70,000 students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assaults; 500,000 students are injured each year while drunk; recent recruiting scandals at NCAA schools were often alcohol-related, I would have to say that there is great inconsistency in linking college athletics with the alcohol industry. The 12-, 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds watching the tournament this weekend will witness great athletes display their skills. These young people will identify with those athletes, and they want to be like them. Sandwiched into the telecasts will be many ads promoting alcohol; and most of the ads will contain attractive young people, celebrations and sometimes adolescent humor. The connection between players on the court and the alcohol advertising will be subtle, but it will be very real.

   Dean Smith, my friend, the former North Carolina basketball coach, said this: ``If aspirin were the leading cause of death on college campuses, do you think chancellors, presidents and trustees would allow aspirin commercials on basketball and football telecasts? They wouldn't, not for a minute.''

   I spoke today with John Wooden, in my time maybe the greatest coach of all time. He won 10 NCAA basketball championships in 12 years. John said that he wholeheartedly endorses taking alcohol advertising out of college sports. Andy Geiger, the Ohio State athletic director, opposes alcohol advertising. Eighty-four percent of Americans think advertising beer on college games is not in the best interest of higher education. Seventy-one percent of Americans support a total ban of alcohol ads on college games. Seventy-seven percent of parents say it is wrong for colleges to profit from alcohol advertising while trying to combat alcohol abuse on their campuses.

   The alcohol industry will counter by indicating how much money they spend to curb underage drinking. However, in 2001 the alcohol industry spent a total of $811 million on product promotion and only 1 percent of the ads promoted responsibility. The placement of their ads and the content of their ads cater to a youthful market. Young people always represent future customers.

   I do not advocate Congress legislating NCAA matters. The NCAA is a voluntary organization and such legislation should be left to the schools. And I do not believe that eliminating alcohol ads on college sports will end underage drinking. However, I do urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 575, expressing the sense of the House that the NCAA should affirm its commitment to a policy of discouraging alcohol use among underage students by ending all alcohol advertising during radio and television broadcasts of collegiate sporting events.

   Hopefully, this resolution will help college administrators see the untenable position they now occupy and move to end current alcohol advertising.