City to pass policy to decrease drink specials

Substance Advisory Council member Kim Dude gave a presentation to city council members regarding a policy to regulate Columbia’s drink specials around town.

“I’ve had bar owners privately tell me they don’t like drink specials and that the only reason they do them is because the bar down the street is doing them and so if there is a level plain field and nobody can charge less than $2.00, then I think nobody would be at a disadvantage,” Dude said.

Dude said with the decrease in alcohol consumption, the policy can decrease the amount of drinking and driving, vandalism, fewer assaults and all negative consequences that come from people being intoxicated.

“Another thing we’d like to do. I don’t think soda should never be more expensive than your least expensive drink, so if you have $2.00 beer, then soda should be no more than $2.00,” Dude said.

At the end of Monday’s City Council meeting, city council member Ian Thomas asked other City Council members to study a proposal for the Health and Human Services staff to review and research the following:

The Substance Abuse Advisory Commission’s report to council Data on alcohol use by students and others in Columbia Policies regulating “drinks specials” in other college towns

Thomas said it can take a couple of months, but as soon as it’s reviewed, he will then bring a report and recommendations back to the City Council for them to decide if action will then be taken.

Thomas said he believes the majority of the council is in agreement with this new policy, especially with other college towns having implemented reasonable policies relating to drink specials.