Richard Yoast, director of the Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse for the American Medical Association, told Policy, Alternative, Community and Education and university representatives that his organization fully supports PACE's decision to ban drink specials at a meeting held at Luther's Blues Caf??, 1401 University Ave., Tuesday.
Yoast's organization, a part of the AMA, oversees groups like PACE and monitors their budgets.
He said he supports the PACE drink special ban because cheap drinks encourage binge drinking and a ban would reduce the severity of alcohol-related problems on campus.
\If I drink, I want what's cheapest and most available, not what I've seen advertised on TV,"" said UW-Madison freshman Alex Dwyer.
When asked about the lawsuit PACE is facing concerning drink specials, Yoast said he was unsure as to why two out-of-state lawyers are handling it.
""I'm suspicious of where this suit is coming from,"" he said.
Yoast added that other states, such as Iowa and Delaware, have already passed ordinances to get rid of drink specials. He noted the Iowa ordinance as very telling, because Iowa has similar community and drinking habits to Wisconsin.
Presently, 72 percent of college campuses prohibit alcohol sponsorship and advertising.
However, bans are difficult to institute because alcohol companies are advertised nationally through the support of the Big Ten conference. In addition, they provide financial support for many activities that would otherwise lack adequate sources of funding.
As a student coming to UW-Madison from New York in the 1960s, Yoast noticed the importance placed on drinking on the UW-Madison campus.
""I was astounded by not just the level of drinking but how important it was to people here,"" Yoast said.
Dean of Students Luoluo Hong emphasized the importance of understanding what role alcohol has in the lives of students on campus.
""[Alcohol can be a means of] connecting people, and also providing a way to be relaxed. College is so stressful and so structured and it asks so much of students. Drinking is a release, and it provides coping and connecting,"" Hong said.
Yoast said while the AMA is not anti-alcohol, they do want students to assess the health impacts more than just economic problems associated with drinking.
