Drink at the Bar, Not At Home
by Ted Festataro
According to a recent study tailgating and drinking at home before an
event increases the risk of a so-called "adverse outcome" at the end of
the evening. I don't know who paid for this study but they must have
a lot of money to throw away. Probably was a government grant.
After all who else would pay to find out that the more you drink, the
more drunk you'll get, and the more drunk you are the more likely
you'll be involved in an unpleasant incident?
After an event many go to a local bar and it's there where trouble
might begin. Maybe there's a loud argument, a pushing incident, or
simply someone throwing up in the parking lot. Any aberrant behavior
is immediately associated with the bar. The bad guy however is not as
obvious as it seems.
Most bar owners are highly responsible and mindful of the legal
proscriptions they work under. Criminal and civil penalties along with
loss of revenue provide strong incentives to follow the rules.
The study also pointed out that the group most likely to reach that
"adverse outcome" are those in the 21 to 25 age group. It's logical to
assume that to save money they would tend to drink at home or in
the stadium parking lot not the bar. Their alcohol then must first come
from retail outlets that have no real responsibility other than to insure
they are not selling beer to anyone underage.
After the event when a crowd enters a nearby pub they are already
feeling the effects of their pre-loading but any incidents are
immediately attached to the establishment and not the retail outlet.
Now before you say the bar shouldn't serve them be aware it's not
always easy to tell at first if someone is so inebriated they should be
banned from the premises.
Imagine that someone in the group has only one pint at the bar before
trouble ensues. The blame will go onto the pub despite the fact that
the damage to the person's inhibitions was done long before the bar
ever saw them.
The neo- prohibitionists have already taken control of most of the
statistics and skewed them against legal and reasonable consumption
of alcohol in bars. For example if you did not have a single drink and
had an accident while driving someone who did, it will be counted as an
"alcohol related incident".
There are no easy answers to stopping excessive pre-event drinking
at home or in the parking lot but I do have a thought. I'm convinced
there would be far fewer "adverse outcomes" if all pre-game or
pre-concert drinking was done at a bar.
Yes, a bar, not at home or in a parking lot. Only at a responsible bar will
the pre-loader encounter a trained staff that will make sure only adults
are drinking, that anyone who reaches their limit are not served, and
will where a cab will be called for anyone that shouldn't be driving.
I want to thank Bob for letting me vent a bit. He may or may not
agree with me but I know he's always willing to evaluate a different
point of view as I hope will his readers.
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| BeerNexus proudly presents Bob Montemurro "the ombudsman of beer" Bob and Friends Speak of Beer...... |
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| Thanks to Ted for writing this month's column. It was interesting to say the least. Your submissions are encouraged - just send them to me here at BeerNexus.com Cheers! See you next time to "speak about beer". Bob Montemurro |
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