File a Complaint

The current self-regulatory system used to monitor alcohol industry marketing and advertising practices actually places the burden on parents and other adults to complain about individual ads.

Individual complaints can help remove singularly offensive local advertising such as billboards, and group complaints leading to press coverage have resulted in success in isolated cases. However, these efforts do little to reduce the overall volume of alcohol advertising reaching young people.

But until systemic changes are made, local action can make a difference. At best, community-based complaints can result in the alcohol advertising in question being removed. It can demonstrate when alcohol companies are not following the voluntary marketing codes. It can also demonstrate to policymakers that there is public concern about whether self-regulation is working to protect youth.

See what others have done.

How to file a complaint (.pdf)

Find a beverage category for a brand of alcohol

Read the Industry Codes

Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS)
Beer Institute
Wine Institute

Let CAMY know how it goes!