In another effort to combat Madison's ongoing problem of chronic street alcoholics and alcohol-related crimes, Ald. Michael Schumacher, Dist. 18, proposed a ban that would limit the sale of cheap alcohol.
The ban would prohibit the sale of a pint of liquor or fortified wine and less than a six-pack of beer.
Schumacher said the ban would limit alcoholics from accumulating enough money through panhandling to purchase alcohol or pressuring others into purchasing the alcohol for them.
""This will slow down their potential drinking, or it's going to make it more difficult,"" Schumacher said.
For the average Madison resident, this ban would likely cause no change in alcohol consumption. Students and other residents who purchase alcohol are unlikely to buy a single can of beer or minuscule amount of hard alcohol, as those with a home and a steady income will buy in bulk for a cheaper price and store it.
However, for the chronic street alcoholics that panhandle and have to save more money, the ban could potentially disrupt their normal habits of acquiring alcohol, delay binges and in turn limit their overall alcohol consumption.
A ban like this has already succeeded in other communities, according to Katherine Plominski, Madison's Alcohol Policy Coordinator.
""Specifically, reductions were seen in Detox admissions, emergency medical services and police service calls,"" she said.
With little effect on the average resident and with evidence of success elsewhere, we encourage the Common Council to support and advance this ban into policy.
However, this should not be viewed as a cure to Madison's alcoholism problems, but as a measure to reduce violence and predatory behavior downtown. Reducing the convenience of feeding alcoholism downtown can improve the area, but the Common Council should also advance efforts to treat the actual problem, which is not an availability of cheap alcohol. More support networks and counseling services, especially directed toward detox regulars, can potentially curb the actual alcoholism, whereas this ban will likely just disperse or delay it.
