UW-Madison students may no longer have to pay underage drinking tickets if a proposed alcohol education program is put in place.
ASM Legislative Affairs Chair Sam Polstein, who sits on the Chancellor's Alcohol Policy Group, said the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) should be ""education as a tool to help curb irresponsible drinking.""
According to Polstein, one aspect of the program would have students pay for administrative fees to cover alcohol education sessions instead of paying for an underage drinking ticket, which can often cost more than $200.
Polstein said those administrative costs could range anywhere from $50 to $100, though he didn't know the exact cost.
The details of the BASICS program have not been finalized, specifically how students will be referred to the program, Polstein said. However, he said the policy group will try to iron out many of those details at an upcoming meeting of the alcohol policy group May 13.
The administration would like to have the program up and running for the fall semester, according to Polstein.
Polstein said he hopes the BASICS program will focus on the education of first-time offenders.
""I support the program on the condition that it is focusing more on education and is not just having another burden that's put on students who are drinking underage and just another step they have to go through,"" Polstein said. ""If it's implemented as part of a change in approach then I'm definitely, definitely in support.""
