Earlier this semester, the Madison Area Police Department unveiled its newest alcohol-awareness strategy. Aimed at two issues, underage drinking and loitering in traffic, this plan, which involves a series of cartoons, hopes to achieve a greater understanding between University of Wisconsin college students and local establishments that vend alcoholic beverages.
According to the Madison Police Department, late-night pedestrians in the downtown Madison area have been ignoring traffic laws by loitering in the roads.
The intersections at State St., Johnson St. and Henry St. have become the most infamous places for traffic incidents, according to Madison police. They believe these problematic areas are due to the large bar crowds that are allegedly hindering motor-vehicle traffic.
Madison-area police think this problem is starting to be seen elsewhere in downtown Madison as well.
According to police, this potentially dangerous mix of fast-paced cars and people who have most likely been drinking creates a serious and possibly fatal dilemma.
The police department’s new cartoon strategy discusses the possible outcomes for people who drink while underage, possess an open container filled with an alcoholic beverage or stand amidst moving traffic.
While the Madison police intend to use these cartoons to inform and educate area college students, many UW students feel they are being looked upon as children.
“No adult is going to take anything that looks as if it’s directed toward a five-year-old [child] seriously,” 19-year-old Claire Smith said. “These cartoons look like they were drawn by a child.”
Smith, a sophomore, said she believes the awareness strategy is complete nonsense.
“This whole thing is stupid–drunk people are going to laugh at it. What am I saying? Everyone is going to laugh at these cartoons,” Smith said.
She said she feels very few will take the idea of a cartoon dealing with alcohol awareness with a serious notion and that getting somebody to draw the cartoons was a waste of time.
“I don’t know what the Madison police are trying to accomplish. The whole thing is just really sketch,” said Smith.
Mike Blustin, a bartender at City Bar, agrees with Smith on the alcohol-awareness issue. City Bar, located at 636 State St., posted the series of cartoons at its entrance, but Blustin believes they had little affect.
“Were the cartoons effective? I don’t know–probably not,” Blustin said.
According to Blustin, City Bar saw no noticeable decline in the number of underage persons on the premises. He believes that underage students break city ordinance 38.04 (entering a licensed premises while underage) more than any other alcohol-related regulation. “We catch a lot of people who are using fakes every night,” Blustin commented.
But Aaron Smith, a liquor vendor at the Church Key Vineyard, 626 University Ave., thinks the cartoons may convey a good message toward students who are under the legal drinking age. He thinks underage students may be afraid of being punished by the city ordinances illustrated in the one of the cartoons.
“If the cops think [the cartoons] are going to be effective, let them do it,” Smith said.
Madison police were unavailable for comment.
