Alcohol abuse is a major concern on college campuses where young adults engage in risky drinking behaviors regularly – such as binge drinking. Naturally, campus faculty work hard every year to educate their students about the dangers of alcohol, urging them to drink responsibly. While many students are able to moderate their drinking and function in their day to day life throughout the week, many other students get bogged down by their drinking and start to struggle.
Minimizing exposure to alcohol on campus is crucial, many colleges around the country have dry campuses. However, some colleges allow drinking at certain establishments on campus. In recent years a number of colleges have begun allowing alcohol sales at sports events, which may not be the best for students.
It is no secret that alcohol can generate millions of dollars in revenue at professional sports events every year. As college coaches command larger salaries and fledging ticket sales, the need to find alternative sources of revenue is becoming more important – causing some schools to justify alcohol sales at football and basketball games. West Virginia is one of a few colleges that allows alcohol sales to general admission ticket holders, but more are expected to follow suit, The New York Times reports. The change does not come without concerns.
Texas and Maryland are going to join the list of colleges that will sell beer at games. Other campuses that allow beer sales include:
The Southeastern Conference prohibits alcohol sales at all schools, according to the article.
The president of West Virginia, E. Gordon Gee, was hesitant to agree with selling alcohol at the games. The college’s Board of Governors persuaded Gee to maintain the policy for another year, the article reports.
“I’m sometimes conflicted about it,” said Gee, “Because I do believe one of the main issues confronting universities is alcohol abuse — binge drinking.”
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If you are or a loved one is struggling with alcohol abuse, please contact Design for Change to begin the journey of recovery.