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Alcohol and Society

The consumption of beverage alcohol products has played an accepted and important role in the cultural and social traditions of both ancient and modern society. Abusing alcohol can lead to serious problems. Problems such as underage drinking, drunk driving, and over consumption can and do lead to negative impacts for individuals and our society as a whole.

Brown-Forman believes that partnerships between alcohol producers and governments can promote a better understanding of the positive role alcohol can play in society and help curb the harm caused by alcohol misuse. Brown-Forman is a founding member of the International Center on Alcohol Policies (ICAP), based in Washington, D.C., that is headed by Dr. Marcus Grant, a respected former World Health Organization official. ICAP is funded by major spirits, wine, and beer producers worldwide who seek to combat alcohol misuse and promote a better understanding of alcohol's role in society.

Similarly, in Europe, Brown-Forman joined with others in the industry as a member of the European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD), an organization of leading distillers and brewers dedicated to self-regulation and responsible drinking. In addition, The Portman Group, of which Brown-Forman is also a member, works to promote responsible consumption in the U.K.

Underage Drinking

We continue to be concerned about the problems of alcohol abuse, especially underage drinking. The issue is how best to deal with this problem and its fallout, including drunk driving. We believe strongly that education and parental involvement are the strongest factors in encouraging young people not to drink. Many of us at Brown-Forman are parents, too, and we don't want those under the legal consumption age to drink. That is why Brown-Forman is proud to be a founding member of The Century Council, a non-profit organization running many outstanding alcohol education programs around the United States. Working with The Century Council, we are addressing underage drinking on several fronts:

• Educating Adults. Adults need to know that it is against the law to provide alcohol for those under the legal drinking age. To that end, we direct some of our responsibility advertising and programs at adults, urging them to help stop underage drinking.
• Helping Parents. U.S. teens report that they get alcohol primarily from home and from legal drinking age adults. We are providing parents with printed guides that include strategies for talking to their teens and college students about alcohol, responsibility, and the law.
• Campus Programs. We work with U.S. colleges and universities to prevent youth access to alcohol and to promote positive social norms showing that most college students do not binge drink or abuse alcohol.
• Training Retail Owners. We sponsor programs that train retail sellers and servers how to recognize fake IDs and to otherwise comply with state alcohol laws. We also sponsor "We ID" campaigns that remind customers they will be carded. These programs work.
• Reaching Youth. The Century Council sponsors in-school education programs and speakers for younger students to encourage them to respect their bodies, make the right choices, and obey the law.