Pa. Liquor Control Board Pulls Controversial Date-Rape Ads After Criticism (PHOTOS)

A controversial state-funded ad campaign meant to warn young adults about the links between heavy drinking and date rape has been pulled by Pennsylvania's Liquor Control Board after a barrage of criticism. The ads were accused of blaming rape on the victims.

Stacey Witalec, a spokeswoman for the board, told the Associated Press the ads were a part of a broader campaign launched a few months ago on the Web site ControlTonight.com.

One of the ads featured a woman's legs splayed on a bathroom floor with her underwear around her ankles and the words: She didn't want to do it, but she couldn't say no.

Another version of the same ad had the words: Sexual assault: That's what Anne's attorney will call it a month from now. She said no, but he kept going. And now, your friend is on his bathroom floor, bruised and victimized. See how you could have prevented this.

The series of ads have received both criticism and support. Nevertheless, they were pulled Wednesday evening. Witalec added that the campaign was only trying to bring a serious problem to the attention of young adults.

On an annual basis more than 97,000 people between the ages of 18 and 24 are the victims of alcohol-fueled sexual assaults, Witalec said, and those statistics are staggering.

She further said the agency wasn't surprised at all by the extensive criticism.

'If we can prevent one person from taking that next drink, then we feel this campaign has been an enormous success, she concluded.

The liquor board on their Web site has offered the following pieces of advice: Stay with friends, never allow your drink out of your sight, if a friend's been drinking and is now acting funny don't let her go home with that guy, etc... not because it's anybody's fault but the rapist's should something bad happen, but because we want our kids to stay aware and protect themselves and their friends.