Representatives from UW-Madison and the city of Madison met with downtown residents to outline current and future plans to combat the city's alcohol problems at a Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc. meeting Thursday night.
The consequences of overdrinking - including assault, robbery and property damage - are a continuing concern for downtown residents,"" said Frederica Freyberg of Wisconsin Public Television, who moderated the discussion.
A panel of six speakers presented Madison's recent efforts and future initiatives to curb the overuse of alcohol in the downtown area to meeting attendees.
Dawn Crim, special assistant to Chancellor John Wiley for community relations, spoke on behalf of UW-Madison and noted that the University of Wisconsin Police Department leads the nation in citations given to underage drinkers.
Crim said the university is trying to decrease these statistics by offering alcohol-free events at the Union during the weekend and informing parents of underage students if they are admitted to a detoxification center, a practice that began in 2005.
Current alcohol policy coordinator Katherine Plominski spoke about her long list of plans to improve the city's alcohol use in the upcoming year, including creating a policy for operator license denials and increasing late night transportation.
Representatives from CNI's alcohol issues committee discussed possible solutions that could be implemented in the future. Despite the current efforts the city and the university are exercising , the committee presented several new initiatives for improvement.
""Capitol Neighborhoods believes there is room for additional efforts in controlling and limiting problem drinking in the downtown area and throughout the whole of Madison,"" said downtown resident and CNI alcohol issues committee member John Scherpelz.
Based on a set of strategies developed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the alcohol issues committee suggested more collaborative efforts between the city and the university to prevent alcohol-related crime and violence.
The committee said the city could reduce illicit alcohol use by increasing the enforcement of drinking laws, restricting the density of alcohol retail outlets, raising prices and taxes on alcoholic beverages and encouraging responsible service policies at establishments.
Additionally, partnership from the university in promoting responsible alcohol use through student-wide screening and interventions as well as mandating alcohol education for incoming students could make the city a better place, according to the committee's presentation.
""We believe alcohol can be a good and enjoyable thing,"" Scherpelz said. ""But like many good things, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing.
