Restrictions on drink specials at North Dakota bars possible
Restrictions may soon be placed on bars that would prevent establishments from offering drink specials and promotions.
Representatives from Concordia, MSUM and NDSU met last Tuesday to discuss the benefits of preventing bar “Happy Hour” specials from not only college students but community members as well.
Laura Oster-Aaland, NDSU director of the Department of Orientation and Student Success, said the main purpose for implementing these laws is to promote less risk and increase safety and student success throughout the entire North Dakota University System.
Oster-Aaland said the North Dakota Consortium for Substance Abuse Prevention has been researching ways of decreasing alcohol abuse among students throughout the school year.
“ We look at all kinds of ways to influence student’s behavior,” Oster-Aaland said. “When you look at the whole campus, the nationwide trend is that students know about alcohol and the risks and they know that it can be dangerous, but many of them still do it.”
Many Fargo-Moorhead restaurants and bars would be affected by the restrictions.
Dan Dammer, owner of Big Daddy’s Restaurant and Bar, said the university system should be working on educating students rather than legislating them.
The NDUS said they also recognize this isn’t just about students and youth.
“ Adults in North Dakota drink among the highest in the nation,” Oster-Aaland said. “This is about our whole state and our culture of drinking that just became so normalized.”
Oster-Aaland said students see massive consumption at spring break and are exposed to drink specials that allow students to drink at half-price all night.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 27 states have already passed laws restricting the use of bar promotions and drink specials.
Dammer said restricting drink specials would cost many bars a substantial amount of money.
“ Without a doubt it would affect us immediately,” Dammer said. “We would have to change our advertisement structure and change the prices on all of our alcoholic drinks.”
Dammer said it would cost Big Daddy’s about $5,000 to $10,000 to make changes if the law was passed.
Oster-Aaland said the Midwest has the highest drinking rates in the country and is the only region that hasn’t implemented laws or restrictions on drinking promotions.
“ I don’t want to hurt anyone’s business,” Oster-Aaland said. “I think it will level the playing field for all the business because there are some (bars) that don’t do drink discounting and I think they feel pressured by those who do.”
Dammer said he feels students are less likely to become excessively intoxicated if they’re at a bar rather than a house party.
“ I have paid professionals who are trained to tell when someone has been drinking too much and we prevent them from drinking more and driving,” Dammer said. “It’s better than students being at an unsupervised house party where there is no responsible adult.”
Oster-Aaland said the same legislation is being presented in Moorhead as well.
“ This is something that the N.D. Consortium for Substance Abuse Prevention is only supportive of,” Oster-Aaland said. “We are informally educating legislature right now and it isn’t the only answer, but we are talking to local representatives and getting their support as well.”