Appeals court rejects ban on alcohol ads in Virginia college newspapers

A federal appeals court has ruled that Virginia’s ban on alcohol ads in college student newspapers is unconstitutional. The Student Law Press Center says Virginia Tech’s Collegiate Times and the University of Virginia’s Cavalier Daily challenged the ban, imposed by the state’s Alcohol and Beverage Control Commission. The newspapers contended the ban violated their First Amendment rights and discriminated against college media outlets. Rulings at the district and appellate level upheld the ban, saying that the state’s efforts to deter underage and abusive drinking by college students outweighed the rights to publish advertisements.