RICHMOND, Va. — An appellate court in Virginia ruled Wednesday that Virginia Tech’s Collegiate Times publication and the University of Virginia’s (UV) The Cavalier Daily newspaper can run ads for alcohol.
A panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided on the ruling, despite a statewide ban intended to curb illegal underage drinking. The regulation bars beer, wine and mixed drink ads in student-run journals unless they’re in the setting of an ad for a restaurant.
The panel concluded that the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission ban on alcohol advertising in collegiate newspapers is unconstitutional as it applies to Virginia Tech’s and UV’s publications, The Roanoke Times reports. Additionally, the court noted that the ban violated the publications’ First Amendment rights because it bans adults 21 years of age and older from receiving information about a product that they can legally consume.
Roughly 60% of Collegiate Times readers are 21 or older, while 64% of The Cavalier Daily’s audience is over legal drinking age.
