9A the university daily kansah
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wednesday, September 24, 2003
Harvard research: cheap drinks lead to costly habits
Megan True/Kansai
Korey Montgomery, bartender, poured beer for a customer last night at Emerson Biggins Sports Bar and Grill, 3512 Clinton Parkway. Emerson Biggins is a popular sports bar for students.
By Kevin Kampwirth
kkampwirth@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
the cheaper the beers, the more you'll drink.
Harvard University public health researchers published a study in October's American Journal of Preventive Medicine that they say verifies this seemingly implicit assumption. The study results showed that "alcohol promotions, price specials and large-volume discounts are associated with higher binge drinking rates."
The researchers based their conclusions on visits they made to nearly 830 bars and restaurants and 1,684 liquor stores in 118 college neighborhoods nationwide. The study also included data taken from more than 10,000 students.
Alcohol-related incidents lead to nearly 1,400 deaths each year for college students. A half-million are injured and about 70,000 sexually assaulted when alcohol is involved, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
These numbers, and outcry to reduce binge drinking on college campuses, led researchers to conduct the study.
Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks, one after the other, for men and four or more for women. Surveys taken from a 2001 College Alcohol Study, also done by Harvard, showed that two out of five college students are binge drinkers.
DCCCA Inc., 3312 Clinton Parkway, is an alcohol- and drug-abuse center that offers rehab services to people with addictions. Nancy Moses, a clinical coordinator for DCCCA, said the center saw many college students with alcohol problems.
"Most of the time, students that come in are seeking treatment for binge-drinking-related problems." Moses said.
The recent Harvard study showed that, "the lower the price of beer in the surrounding community, the higher the binge drinking rate at the college." It added that alcohol consumption by college students was affected by price.
"All-you-can-drink" and "$1 you-call-it" specials can be found in almost any college town in the country. Lawrence is no exception.
Several area bars offer specials on various nights of the week. Fatso's, 1016 Massachusetts St., is one of them.
Gavin Smith, Fatso's manager said that Wednesday, "$1 anything" night, and Saturday, live music night, were its most popular nights.
"They're the things that draw people in," Smith said. "Real, real cheap drinks and live music."
Dollar well drinks and dollar shots are other popular specials at area bars.
Jet Lag Lounge, Sixth and Florida streets, boasts dollar well shots on Thursdays and three-dollar pitchers on Mondays.
"The drink specials and the fact that we have no cover is what draw a lot of people in on those nights," said Angela Hale, bar manager at Jet Lag Lounge.
For many students, cheap drink specials on a given night sway what bar they will go to.
"It ites people are drawn to the places with cheaper drinks," said Lauren Keefer, Wichita junior. "It is a factor when I'm deciding where to go."
But not all establishment workers said they thought that cheap drinks were the deciding factor on where students chose to go.
Aaron Silber, assistant manager at The Pool Room, 925 Iowa St., said he thought there were other factors in play.
"Drink specials do a little, but for us it's more the environment," Silber said.
"The biggest thing is cheap beers, cheap drinks. That's the only way to appeal to these college kids."
Scott Dodgin Emerson Biggins general manager
The Pool Room has live hiphop shows on Fridays and several pool tables, two factors that Silber said drew crowds.
There are students who think other factors have more to do with where they go than the drink specials.
"For me, cheap drinks is not as important as the bar atmosphere," said Ryan McBee, Overland Park junior. "Music is also a big draw."
But bar owners say the price is what brings in patrons.
"If you're the most expensive place in town, you're not going to get business," said Scott Dodgin, general manager at Emerson Biggins Sports Bar and Grill, 3512 Clinton Parkway.
Emerson Biggins offers large volumes of alcohol for cheap prices several days a week, including a "2-for-1" special, meaning the buyer gets two drinks for the price of one.
Many bars, including Fatso's, stopped offering these "2-for-1" specials after it was made illegal a few years ago.
But Biggins found a loophole. Instead of selling two drinks for the price of one straight out, it sells the patron two drinks, each for half price. In actuality, patrons get the two drinks for what one drink would cost, but paying separately.
"The biggest thing is cheap beers,cheap drinks,"Dodgin said. "That's the only way to appeal to these college kids."
- Edited by Ehren Meditz