Va. Can Ban Alcohol Ads in College Newspapers

Written by: William Liao

In a recent 2-1 vote, Virginia Tech's newspaper, Collegiate Times, was revoked the right to implement alcohol ads in its production. Why? Because the state claimed that such an action would lower underaged drinking rates.

First of all, this case just screams "first amendment lawsuit!" There aren't any hidden nuts and bolts involved in the equation, and it's written in fine print on the constitution, that congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press. These blatantly clear terms seem to lack sufficient application in today's society and this case is a perfect example.

And to be clear, this is a law, now. It doesn't just apply to Virginia Tech, but every college in Virginia.

So the question right now is: who's right? Does the state have the right, does the college have the right?

I think in all cases there's seems to be a clear conclusion, and while not all of these conclusions turn out to be the correct ones (in my opinion), this is one such case that does have a clear and rational outcome. Here's why:

The state operated on with good intentions, and I have no reason to argue against them. However, the state is trying to do one thing it cannot, which is to try to fill every hole and crack in its community, single-handedly--underaged drinking being one of them. Yes, it is a safety concern, and yes, it is a rational one--but will banning advertisements make a measurable difference? Chances are (and by chances, I mean you can bet on it), probably not.

For the sake of justifying this argument, let me explain why there is likely to be little or no effect on underaged drinking. First and foremost, the newspaper is just one form of media, it gets around, it goes around. However, guess what, so does the television, the internet, peer-to-peer interaction, etc. Underaged drinking is fueled far more by everything else than it is the newspaper, and unless the state wants to try to take a full-blown course of action, and eliminate all alcoholic influences, it should just step aside, and let everybody carry on their own business.

If I haven't made it clear, then let me make it clear now: the school should be allowed to install the ad, the state should not be allowed to ban it. Not only does the college have the constitutional literature by its side, but it also has a fairly rational argument to make which is to say that banning the college ad will not satisfy, to even a measurable degree, the states intention to lower underaged drinking rates through the banning of the ad.