MO: Drink special regulations might leave thrifty drinkers thirsty
By Caitlin Campbell
September 13, 2017
Columbia soon may get a last call for popular drink specials such as 1-cent pitchers, $1 shots, $5 “bottomless cups” and trivia nights with alcohol for prizes.
The city’s Substance Abuse Advisory Commission plans next month to approve a final list of new liquor special regulations that it will send to the Columbia City Council for consideration. Some of the regulations would prohibit bars from giving out free drinks, ban specials that offer unlimited drinks for a fixed price, set a minimum price for all drinks and regulate any games or contests involving alcohol.
On Wednesday, six members of the commission fine-tuned the proposals and discussed what minimum price might be appropriate for alcoholic beverages. Some commissioners suggested a minimum price of $2 per drink, while others suggested a prohibition on selling any alcohol for a cheaper price than soft drinks.
“I think that it would be fairly important for us to include an amount” such as $2, said Commissioner Kim Dude, who is also the founder of the University of Missouri’s Wellness Resource Center. “The council could say, ‘Oh, let’s make it 25 cents,’ but that’s not enough.”
Other proposals would stop drink specials by 11 p.m. and suggest implementing “alcohol outlet density policies.” Those policies might limit the number of liquor licenses given out within a specific geographic area.
The city council asked the group more than a year ago to take a closer look at regulations for drink specials that might curb alcohol-related problems in downtown Columbia, said commission Chairwoman Molly Borgmeyer. Officials believe specials can encourage binge drinking, which results in dangerous behavior such as drunk driving, violence, robbery, vandalism, crowd congestion and noise complaints.
According to members of the commission, a 2015 Responsible Hospitality Institute study of downtown found the area needs better alcohol regulations and enforcement. Downtown faces “nighttime challenges” with underage drinking, over-service of inebriated patrons and impaired drivers and pedestrians, according to the study. Many people drink too much alcohol because bars offer large quantities for cheap prices, allow entry to minors and serve patrons despite visible signs of intoxication, the study said.
The 2015 report also blames the University of Missouri for some of the downtown area’s problems with alcohol. A few ways the university could help cut down on student over-consumption include offering more classes and exams on Fridays and beefing up punishments for off-campus student misconduct, the report suggests.
Dude said the university is looking into those ideas. The number of students drinking too much alcohol and misbehaving decreased the past decade, she said, but within the past few years officials have noticed that trend changing.
“There’s no doubt in my mind” new regulations “like mandatory server training” have “made a difference,” Dude said. “Part of the problem is just that fake IDs are so incredibly good these days. We are seeing more” students using them than in the past.
Commissioner Gary Smith suggested adding a provision to address bars serving free drinks to athletes. Some bars offer specials to draw specific crowds, such as an athletic team, to their businesses, he said.
Borgmeyer said athletes are not supposed to accept free drinks because of NCAA regulations.
“I think that’s more of a college issue to deal with,” she said.