The state attorney general's office denies that a Virginia law banning the advertising of specific alcohol products in college papers is a violation of the First Amendment.

The statement, issued late last week, is a response to a lawsuit brought by student newspapers at Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia for the right to publish ads for alcohol.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in June on behalf of Tech's Collegiate Times and UVa's Cavalier Daily charging that the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control was violating the newspapers' right to free speech.

Virginia law bars the advertising of specific alcohol products in all college papers. Restaurants that serve alcohol can still place ads in college media but are limited to general terms such as "beer," "mixed beverages" and "ABC on-premises."

The attorney general's response says the law does not violate free speech rights because it "advances a substantial government interest ... and is no more extensive than necessary to serve such interest."

-- Greg Esposito