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closeState College Borough Council is considering a nuisance ordinance that may come up for a vote next month. If passed, the ordinance will hold party hosts responsible for the raucous behavior of their guests.
The proposal is an attempt to assuage dangerous alcohol-related behavior that spills onto the properties of residents who live in proximity to student parties. Proponents believe that the ordinance will mitigate the continuous disturbances that plague local residents every Thursday through Saturday night. Critics identify the proposal as an effort to disregard personal freedoms.
Despite best efforts to address alcohol abuse among college students, the problem continues to grow. Consumption of alcohol among college students has increased drastically since 1993, according to the National Center on Addiction and Alcohol Abuse at Columbia University.
To date, none of the attempts to curtail dangerous alcohol-related behavior have been successful. Not the increased police patrols. Not the alternative late night activities. Not local ordinances.
A nuisance ordinance may do a bit to stifle alcohol-related disturbances in the borough; however, a fundamental question needs to be answered: Will an ordinance that holds hosts accountable for the illegal drunken activities of their guests affect the culture of alcohol abuse among Penn State students?
Despite the obvious need to eliminate illegal behavior of drunken students, the proposed solution needs careful consideration. Police need an enforcement tool that can be used to protect the rights of property owners. Neighbors need the support of university administrators, borough officials and safety officials, while ordinance proponents need to be careful not to tread on personal freedoms.
The proposed ordinance is a solution, but it’s only a nominal solution to a huge problem. Borough Council must identify a more objective measure that holds offenders accountable for their own transgressions.
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