• Ad Age, Wednesday, March 7, 2007 11:45 AM

A new report issued by acting surgeon general Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu urges alcohol marketers to cut back their outdoor advertising for alcoholic beverages and to eliminate college events sponsorships.

The report says too many people view teen drinking as a "rite of passage" when new research indicates it could have potentially serious long-term effects. "Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America's youth," Moritsugu says.

Notably, Moritsugu didn't urge the passage of any new laws, instead suggesting colleges, media and the alcohol industry should act voluntarily. Although the report's guidelines go beyond current voluntary codes for outdoor advertising and college sponsorships, alcohol-industry associations say many practices it cites are already barred or severely restricted by those codes.

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