The results of the voluntary drink special ban practiced by downtown bars the past year are inconclusive, Policy, Alternatives, Community and Education announced yesterday.
PACE reported the number of alcohol-related crimes had risen over the year the study was performed, while there was no significant increase in alcohol-related incidents in student housing areas known for large house parties.
The effort started in September of 2002 with 25 downtown bars imposing a voluntary limit on drink specials after 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. At the end of the study 19 bars remained. Crowley said PACE plans to continue to advocate for an overall late-night drink special ban, but it is up to the bars whether they will continue to participate.
Some participating bars feel the results of the study has validated their stance on drink specials.
\We did not feel that [the ban] would have any affect whatsoever on binge drinking and the study came up as inconclusive, which some could argue proves us right,"" said Eric Suemnicht, manager of the Nitty Gritty, 223 N. Frances.
Serious incidents such as fights, aggravated batteries and assaults, have risen from the 2001-'02 school year to the 2002-'03 school year, the release said. Liquor law violations and vandalism also rose.
""We're quite amazed at the overwhelming increase in crime in that area, but what that's attributable to, we don't know,"" said Susan Crowley, PACE project director.
Aaron Brower, the project's principal investigator and UW-Madison professor of social work, said these results do not mean that drink specials do not contribute to the alcohol-related crime rate.
""The research still shows that there's a strong relationship between price and consumption and between consumption and problems,"" Brower said. ""The increase in crime is probably part of a general trend that things are getting worse downtown.""
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, and member of the PACE initiative, said he did not favor drink special bans in Madison and PACE should focus their efforts on different strategies.
""No matter how you manipulate the data there's just absolutely no conclusions that show that banning drink specials makes any difference,"" Verveer said.
Jason Rockwell, a manager of Stillwaters, 250 State St., said they have participated in the ban, but now will probably reinstate their drink specials.
A manager at the City Bar, 636 State St., said they would only reinstate their specials if other bars did.
""If everybody reinstates drink specials, we would have to compete with them financially,"" he said.
