Publishers will delete liquor ads from copies of popular magazines bound for libraries in elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities under an agreement with an industry trade group.

The Albany Business Review reported March 21 that starting on July 1, Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) members will cease placing ads on the inside and back covers of magazines if the covers cannot be removed for special bindings that omit alcohol ads for school distribution. DISCUS said the move reflects its commitment to "responsible advertising" aimed at adults.

Magazines affected include Newsweek, People, Sports Illustrated, Time, and U.S. News & World Report.

"Research clearly establishes that alcohol advertising has a significant impact on young people's decisions to drink alcohol," said New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. "Virtually all readers of school library editions are individuals under the legal drinking age, and thus use of selective binding to avoid youth exposure to alcohol advertisements is a responsible course of conduct."