November 12, 2010

By Ashlynn Cannata, Fort LeBoeuf High School

The tougher drinking laws that are being considered by officials from Pennsylvania are an excellent idea. It seems to me that underage drinking is a problem that is only getting worse, and I’m not the only one noticing this trend.

Many homeowners living near campuses are becoming worried about this drunken behavior, too. Unless someone steps in to increase the consequences for these behaviors, they are just going to continue to escalate. If the penalties for underage drinking and public drunkenness haven’t changed since the 1970s, how can anyone expect this problem to get better, let alone solve itself?

Currently, underage drinking fines range from $300 to $500. You can be fined up to $300 for littering, a less serious offense than underage drinking. So, why would someone who was caught drinking underage potentially pay the say amount as someone who littered?

Underage drinking is a serious offense and should be treated as such. According to reports, some have been charged and paid the current fine, only to return to their bad behavior later. If the fine reached $1,000, it would significantly deter individuals from repeating their crime.

By Jason Mercier and Anthony Randazzo
October 29, 2010 | FoxNews.com

Seventy-seven years after the end of prohibition the battle of the “wets” versus the “drys” is alive and well in those states considering ending their government monopolies over the sale of liquor. Though not as colorful as the epic battles between Al Capone and Elliot Ness, the underlining debate continues over whether government control of liquor sales has measurable societal benefits.

As one of 18 monopoly control states (only government sale of liquor allowed), this question is front and center in Washington State where not one, but two ballot measures are being considered on whether to end the state’s liquor monopoly. A similar debate is occurring in the control states of Virginia and Pennsylvania. (more…)

Chad Lear – For the Centre Daily Times
Oct. 21, 2010

Alcohol offenses and thefts continue to be the biggest problems at Penn State, according to the university’s annual crime report.
“If you look at driving under the influence, liquor law and public drunkenness, those numbers are still high,” said Penn State Deputy Police Chief Tyrone Parham.
In 2009, those three offenses alone accounted for 783 of the 1,726 Part II offenses. Part II offenses also include drug offenses and weapons possession.
During the past three years, alcohol-related offenses have gone up, along with the blood alcohol content levels of Penn State students who have required medical attention for alcohol overdoses, Parham said. (more…)

October 8, 2010
By Tricia Pursell
The Daily Item

A state senator has introduced a bill he hopes will cut down on underage drinking incidents by raising the maximum fine to $1,000, but since Valley judges typically don’t sentence first offenders with the current maximum of $300, the question remains how this new law, if passed, would really be effective.

Sen. Jake Corman (R-Benner Township, Centre County) introduced three bills Sept. 13 that would increase the maximum fine for underage drinking and public drunkenness to $1,000, make repeated underage drinking a misdemeanor, and would allow university towns to charge an additional $100 fee for alcohol-related convictions. (more…)

Tuesday, October 05, 2010
By Elisabeth Ponsot, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Friday night, Oakland.

Students back to school after summer vacation walk down Forbes Avenue with purpose, making stops at their favorite joints. Some seek out the scene at Hemingway’s Cafe or Peter’s Pub. Others trek off the beaten path to the Garage Door Saloon on Atwood or Bootleggers on Semple.

To the untrained eye, the 18- to 20-year-olds blend in with students of legal drinking age. But not to Dominic Williams.

Mr. Williams, 25, a 6-foot-4-inch former University of Pittsburgh football player, says he can spot a false ID as soon as he sees it. (more…)

September 28, 2010
By Brendan McNally and Emily Battaglia

Penn State freshmen gathered in the HUB-Robeson Center auditorium Monday night to learn about the Office of Judicial Affairs’ Code of Conduct — and some said they were surprised by what they learned.

Assistant Director of the Office of Judicial Affairs (OJA) Gary Miller led an hour-long presentation covering some of the most common violations of the university’s Code of Conduct — a set of rules that Miller said students are expected to follow both on and off-campus.

Miller, who spoke to a crowd of about 40, said that academic integrity problems, copyright violations, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual misconduct, and harassment are some of the most common violations his office deals with. (more…)

By: Courtney Nickle
The Online Rocket
(Slippery Rock University’s online student newspaper)
9/24/10

This semester, two programs will be implemented to help prevent and reduce binge and underage drinking among freshmen.

The programs are part of a new statewide initiative set forth by PASSHE (Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education) targeting first-year students. SRU was awarded a two-year, $500,000 federal grant in October 2009. The other 14 state system schools were also awarded money.

The overall goal of the grant is to reduce binge drinking by seven percent, according to assistant professor, Alcohol and Other Drug program director and representative for SRU Chris Cubero. (more…)

By Tricia Pursell
The Daily Item

September 22, 2010

A state senator wants to decrease underage drinking by increasing fines.

But university and borough officials in the Valley don’t think a higher fine in itself would make much difference.

State Sen. Jake Corman (R-Benner Township, Centre County) introduced three bills Friday that would increase the maximum fine for underage drinking and public drunkenness to $1,000, make repeated underage drinking a misdemeanor, and would allow university towns to charge an additional $100 fee for alcohol-related convictions. (more…)

9/17/2010 —
Penn State Brandywine has been awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) to support initiatives targeted at the prevention of under-age and dangerous drinking.

Friday, September 17, 2010
University Park, Pa. — The fall 2010 semester marks the renewal of a sustained, broad-based campaign to reduce the negative consequences of alcohol in the Penn State community, according to Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs, during a presentation today (Sept. 17) to the University’s Board of Trustees.

“The challenge of dangerous alcohol misuse among college students reaches nationwide and is far from new,” said Sims, who also co-chairs The Partnership – Campus and Community United Against Dangerous Drinking with Borough of State College Manager Tom Fountaine. Sims and panelists Fountaine; Linda LaSalle, University Health Services’ associate director for educational services; Joe Puzycki, Student Affairs assistant vice president; and Max Wendkos, Interfraternity Council president, outlined the campaign’s efforts during their presentation. (more…)