News

PACE starts up semester plans

The University of Wisconsin Policy, Alternatives, Community and Education project, aimed at reducing the consequences of high-risk drinking, introduced a new Best Taverns initiative Tuesday at the UW Foundation Building.

Aaron Brower, the principal investigator for the PACE project, said PACE will work extensively with the Alcohol License and Review Committee this semester to help propel PACE issues, especially for finding alternatives to the cabaret law, which requires establishments to have a $250 license in order to allow dancing at the venue. Only one out of every five bars in Madison has the cabaret license.

At present taverns cannot allow underage people in the establishment past a certain time, even places featuring live music and other entertainment. PACE is looking to help the ALRC create an ordinance allowing taverns to serve liquor while allowing people under 21 in the bar as well.

Susan Crowley, PACE project director, said the group will primarily concern itself this semester with the topic of best practices for taverns in the downtown area and with finding an acceptable substitute for the current cabaret law.

“We are trying to make it easier for underage students to be at events featuring live entertainment,” Crowley said.

The effort is part of PACE’s ongoing mission to combat high-risk drinking on and around campus.

“One thing we have heard consistently is that there needs to be more viable things to do in town rather than drinking,” Brower said.

Brower said the Best Taverns initiative, which will aim to make bars safer for students, will be much more difficult to tackle.

“This issue is more tricky,” Brower said, adding the group will be basing its plans on research from comparable cities and universities and then looking to address problems. “We don’t want to put bars out of business.”

Brower said they will use research proven to make a difference. They will also use the research as a way to help determine how to keep students safe while drinking in the downtown area.

“We want to find ways to keep people safe so that drinking does not result in problems,” he said, adding things like fights, vandalism and sexual assaults happen more often than not as a result of drinking.

Both Brower and Crowley noted the lack of students at Tuesday’s meeting, which Crowley attributed to the noon hour starting time. She said a forum will be planned especially for students allowing them to add their input on the new initiative.