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Health & Fitness

Blog: Alcohol at UC Davis & Tonight's City Council Meeting

An interview about alcohol with Mandy Li of UC Davis Health and Counseling Services.

Note: The Minor Alcohol Preclusion Ordinance will come before the city council Tuesday night. To see what the Davis Police Department has to say about the ordinance, read this: Youth and Alcohol: New Law in Davis Before Picnic Day? 

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When asked if alcohol consumption among UC Davis students is a problem, 64% of Davis Patch readers said yes. Findings by the City of Davis suggest that alcohol consumption has increased in recent years and that recreational drinking by teens and young adults has become a serious problem.

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The consequences of these problems surface at parties and on events such as Picnic Day.  Actions have been taken to curb these trends, such as the Safe Party Initiative and the in-progress Minor Alcohol Preclusion Ordinance. 

The Safe Party Initiative promotes social responsibility (Safe Party campaign), neighborhood community-building practices (block parties), and law enforcement practices (DUI checkpoints).  The main focus of the initiative is to create awareness of potential risks and reduce harm.

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The  would allow officers to cite minors who are found in public locations with alcohol in their system. The penalty would be a minor infraction -- not a misdemeanor. One main reason for the new law is the recurring issue of uncontrolled Picnic Day madness, along with growing problems of underage drinking in Davis.  Several questions arise with the introduction of this ordinance, such as what its intentions are, how it differs from existing laws, whether or not it is unconstitutional, and if the ordinance will help make community events, like Picnic Day, safer.

I inquired with the UC Davis Campus Police Department about the ordinance, but since it's a city ordinance the Campus Police did not have much to say on the matter.  Mandy Li of UC Davis Health and Counseling Services provided some information about the problem of alcohol consumption in general, and her thoughts on the ordinance.

Is alcohol consumption among students a growing problem?

“I believe that alcohol consumption among students has been a relatively stable issue in the UC Davis community.  It is not something that has dramatically increased.”

Many college students like to drink and party.  Is this a part of college, or is it purely a problem among the underage students?

“Students who come to college may choose to engage in drinking in partying, and our main goal with the Safe Party Initiative and counseling services is to reduce harm that is associated with partying with strategies for staying safe.  It is important to meet the students where they are and encourage safe behavior.”

What are your general thoughts on the Minor Alcohol Preclusion Ordinance?

“The City of Davis Police are still presenting the ordinance to the community and adding amendments.  I do believe that it has the potential to improve issues that we see in the community. “

How do you believe it pertains to Picnic Day?

“I believe that it could be a tool for the community to work with the underage population and improve issues associated with Picnic Day, but ultimately I see Picnic Day and the ordinance as two separate pieces.”

The Minor Alcohol Preclusion Ordinance may have implication for a safer Picnic Day and community in general, but we will have to wait and see what amendments are added, and if the City Council will pass it.

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