The existence of such heavily attended drink promotions as State Street Brats’ Flip Night is being threatened by new recommendations proposed by the University of Wisconsin’s Policy Alternatives Community and Education Project.
PACE submitted a list of recommendations to the Alcohol License and Review Committee last Wednesday that included items such as the elimination of late-night drink specials, elimination of promotions, contests and games that offer alcohol as a reward, and prohibition of advertising of bars and drink specials in student newspapers.
In an interview with The Badger Herald, PACE director Sue Crowley said the reason for attempting to eliminate late-night drink specials does not have to do with data showing a correlation between late-night drinking and negative consequences as a result of drunkenness. In fact, Crowley said the group considers “late night” any time after 8 p.m. on weekdays or weekends.
“The data and research we looked at shows the relationship between price and consumption,” Crowley said, adding happy hour is no longer the only drink special offered during the night at many bars.
Another route PACE is taking to curb the negative consequences of drinking is eliminating advertising in student newspapers, although this may approach a violation of the First Amendment.
“We recognize that we can’t say people can’t advertise,” Crowley said. Instead, she has recommended taverns follow the same guidelines as the beer industry. She said the beer industry has a voluntary code in which they do not advertise in any type of market where people who are not of age may be listening or reading.
Although the ALRC has not yet discussed many of the issues proposed by PACE, ALRC member Stephanie Rearick said some of the issues PACE has proposed are easier to think about than others.
“I think it is weird to tell people where they can and cannot advertise,” Rearick said of the advertising proposal. “Papers need revenue, too.”
Crowley defended the proposal, stating data she has researched shows the average age of students on campus is 20.5, meaning 22,000 students at UW are under the age of 21. She said this is why PACE feels it is important to eliminate advertising in student newspapers — most of their readers cannot legally drink.
However, many, such as Adam Greenberg, owner of The City Bar and Restaurant, feel prohibiting advertising in student newspapers would do little to help what PACE is trying to achieve.
Although Greenberg said his bar does not advertise, he said since students read more than just the student newspapers it would be “silly” to try and eliminate advertisements only in student newspapers.
“Is The Onion considered a student newspaper?” Greenberg asked, adding there are advertisements for drink specials and taverns in almost all of the newspapers students read anyway.
At present, both Crowley and Greenberg said they do not foresee any of the recommendations being enforced in the immediate future.
Crowley said the list was submitted as recommendations only, and the ALRC does not have to approve all or any of them. She also said she has not received any firm response from the ALRC regarding the recommendations.
Although Greenberg said as of Monday night he had received no information about the proposed recommendations, he said if the list is like those in the past, he is not worried.
“So far, I haven’t really noticed a difference,” Greenberg said regarding previous PACE initiatives.
PACE has been working closely with the ALRC to help create a new nightclub license to replace the cabaret ordinance the city is eliminating. The ALRC has been working on an ordinance that would allow those under the age of 21 to be allowed in taverns that provide entertainment. Both groups are working with the City Attorney to determine details of the plan, such as economic incentives for tavern owners and how to deal with people under the age of 21 in a place serving alcohol.
