Issues of binge drinking and alcohol abuse are have been identified as problems in many college towns.
But one Wisconsin city recently took two counterproductive steps to try to change its drinking culture.
| The issue The La Crosse City Council recently banned bartenders from drinking on the job and limited the number of kegs people can purchase at one time. |
A new ordinance went into effect in La Crosse last weekend prohibiting bartenders from drinking on the job. While they may drink on breaks, their blood-alcohol level may not exceed .08. The fine for bartenders who break this new ordinance is $75.
Earlier this month, the city approved an ordinance that would prevent liquor store owners from renting more than two kegs of beer to any person or single address within a 48-hour time period.
Both ordinances will do little to solve La Crosse’s problems with alcohol, and come across as nothing more than poorly planned public relations efforts.
A bartender having a drink or two at a bar has little influence on his or her patrons. As a customer of a bar, one assumes bartenders may drink.
Taxpayer dollars will ultimately be wasted as police officers spend precious man-hours enforcing these ordinances. And if they don’t, the ordinances are pointless.
While some may compare these new ordinances to other city’s recent bans on smoking in bars, that is a stretch. Smoking is a health issue impacting the lives of everyone. A person’s consumption of alcohol has no direct impact on a larger community unless they do something illegal such as driving under the influence.
The main problem with these ordinances is that they infringe on owners’ right to control their businesses. Alcohol is a legal drug; restricting its use by of-age adults is only likely to cause a rebellion.
While the alcohol-related deaths of students from college towns such as La Crosse and Eau Claire are tragic, they were caused by individual irresponsibility. Cities such as La Crosse are acting irresponsibly by shifting the blame to businesses.
