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| COALITION AIMS TO CURB DANGEROUS DRINKING BEHAVIOR IN LA CROSSE |
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WPR News - Coalition aims to curb dangerous drinking behavior in La Crosse
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Wednesday April 18, 2012
by Maureen McCollum
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(LA CROSSE) Organizers of a new program in La Crosse hope that bars will play a more prominent role in curbing underage and binge drinking.
To Pat Ruda, drinking has become more unsafe and aggressive, especially for younger people. As chair of the Changing the Culture of Risky Drinking Behavior Coalition in La Crosse, she's worked to make sure people drink more responsibly.
Now, the Coalition is reaching out to tavern owners, who can volunteer to become a "Partner for a Safer La Crosse County." The goal is to prevent underage drinking, binge drinking in young adults, and ultimately, more Mississippi River drownings.
Ruda says bar owners will sign an official pledge, then receive a sticker for their entryway, "We don't want to serve to people that are underage. Fake IDs and things like that, we want to make sure those are turned in, that's important. The "All You Can Drink" specials becomes a particular concern."
In fact, some La Crosse bars interested in "Partner for a Safer La Crosse County" have been turned down because they won't give up the "All You Can Drink" specials.
Matt Boschka co-owns the restaurant/bar Dublin Square. To him, signing up for the program was a no brainer, "We take a lot of pride in making sure our patrons have a safe, fun environment to come and spend their free time in. You have one or two people that are getting out of hand that are overly served or are underage. We do our best to try to avoid that entire situation."
Twenty bars and restaurants have signed up for the program, and organizers are confidant many more will join.
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