In This Issue
	Dates for the 2004 MYAA Meetings The Sustainability Salon Legislative Session Is Upon Us Alcohol-Free Sports TV Beer logos in Smithsonian Send Message

The Sustainability Salon

Between meetings, we're encouraging folks to use an electronic bulletin board called the Sustainability Salon. The site is a technical assistance follow-up service from our training with Campaign Consultation. It can serve several purposes: as a discussion board, as a place to post comments and questions about various subjects, and as a place to receive individualized technical assistance regarding specific challenges. This is a free service and we encourage each of you to sign up. The first time you visit the site you'll need to register a Username and Password. Then you can visit as often as you like! It's a great way for us to maintain communication between meetings. Check it out now! »

Legislative Session Is Upon Us

It is hard to believe we're at the brink of another legislative session. This month marks the beginning of bills being prefiled. The policy priorities MYAA will support in 2004 are: refining the keg tracking bill MIP by consumption open house parties alcohol fees All are ramping up; we'll keep you posted on progress and action needed. RWJ Responds to Attack An article in the June issue of Constant Contact described the Beer Institute attacking the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and labeling it "prohibitionist" following industry commentary on the National Academies IOM Report. In this issue, we see the response of David Morse, vice president for communications at RWJF. His letter appeared in the October 10 issue of the Washington Times. Read David Morse's Response »

Alcohol-Free Sports TV

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), along with former University of North Carolina head basketball coach Dean Smith and former University of Nebraska head football coach Tom Osborne (now a U.S. representative) launched an aggressive campaign last month that seeks to rid televised college sporting events of alcohol advertising. Called "Alcohol-Free Sports TV," the campaign calls on colleges and universities, athletic conferences and the NCAA to stop taking money from alcohol advertisers. A CSPI recent poll reports that seven in 10 American beer companies that advertise during sporting events know that their ads appeal to underage drinkers. Alcohol producers spend 60 percent of their television advertising dollars on sporting events; in 2002, sports programming netted nearly $600 million. Of that amount, $58 million-about 6,251 ads-was spent on college sports. According to George Hacker, CSPI director of the alcohol policies project, 939 beer ads were televised during the NCAA 2002 basketball tournament, more than the Super Bowl, World Series, college football bowl games and NFL Monday Night Football combined. See the CSPI news release »

Beer logos in Smithsonian Send Message

Beer logos appear everywhere; they've even shown up on a plane at the Smithsonian's new aviation museum opening this month at Dulles International Airport. Bud Light decals appear on the Loudenslager Stephens Akro Laser 200 plane given to the Smithsonian in 1999. The plane won several U.S. aerobatics titles and the 1980 World Aerobatic Championship. At that time it was painted blue and yellow. In 1983, the plane was retired from competition to perform at air shows, repainted bright red and emblazoned with beer logos to show its sponsorship by Anheuser-Busch. In a letter sent to the Smithsonian secretary and signed by 13 Democrats and seven Republicans, members of Congress said that "having a historic plane covered in gratuitous beer advertising sends misleading and dangerous messages to the millions of annual museum visitors who will be under the legal drinking age. For the entire story in the Washington Post »