A primary role played by a state alcohol regulatory agency is monitoring the
impact of the beverage alcohol industry on the public. Indeed, many state
agencies were created by laws the express purpose of which was the promotion of
temperance among state citizens. Not surprisingly, therefore, should a citizen
voice concerns regarding the content of a particular alcohol advertisement, a
beverage alcohol regulatory official may be charged with investigating the
advertisement in question.
Once a regulatory official has developed concerns about the content of an
advertisement, he or she must carefully consider how to proceed. If an industry
member has expended significant resources in preparing an advertisement and has
employed its own evaluation concerning the ad's suitability, the member
understandably may be resistant to any regulatory pressure to alter the ad.
Should the official decide to restrict an industry member's right to advertise
basic product information, that
