The Distilled Spirits Council today issued the following statement from Distilled Spirits Council Vice President Jay Hibbard:

The mayor’s decision to ban alcohol advertising is misguided and unsupported by the scientific research. The research is clear – parents and other adults are the most influential factors in a youth’s decision whether or not to drink alcohol, not advertising.  In fact, in New York underage drinking has declined by more than 35 percent over the last 10 years and binge drinking is at an all-time low.

Other localities have recently overturned bans on alcohol advertising on public transit with each city experiencing absolutely no negative effects.  In December 2018, Baltimore City, which in 1994 became the first municipality to enact an outdoor alcohol advertising ban, joined a number of cities in striking down prohibitions on alcohol advertisements.  Since 2012, Charlotte, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston have all repealed their public transit alcohol advertising bans.

The nation’s distillers are committed to responsible advertising and have a proven history of successful self-regulation through our industry’s Code of Responsible Practices. The FTC, the lead federal agency charged with consumer protection, has repeatedly reaffirmed the spirits industry’s responsible advertising practices.