As you may have read in The Daily Reveille yesterday, a bill presented by Rep. Henry Burns would make it illegal to order alcoholic beverages at any establishment without having a sober person with a Louisiana driver’s license with you. Getting drinks will become way harder for underage students at Tigerland if it gets passed, but that is only one of many problems Louisiana citizens would have to face.
How can somebody actually think that this bill would work? The most obvious flaw is that it has to be a Louisiana driver’s license and cannot be from any other state or country. Just imagine how much tourism in New Orleans would drop if no out-of-stater is allowed to get hammered on Bourbon Street. It would also have a negative effect on establishments in Tigerland because according to the LSU’s Office of Budget and Planning, 5,178 students are residents of a different state and 1,578 from a different country. This part of the bill is ridiculous and discriminating. A valid driver’s license should be enough.
The bill would also mean people who walk or use public transportation are not able to buy drinks. So if the bill gets passed and you live in Tiger Plaza, which is no more than a one minute walk away from Tigerland, you would still need to bring a designated driver into the bar with you in order to have what many people define as a “good time.”
Burns does not seem to understand that people lie and are willing to come up with incredible plans to get intoxicated. I can already see how 21-year-olds at Reggie’s ask sober 18-year-olds if they can act like they are the designated driver for tonight, if they end up getting a drink as a refund.
I also hardly doubt that bartenders are able to tell if a person is completely sober. Most people are able to lean against a counter without falling over and talk without sounding intoxicated if they really try. And to force every designated driver to do a breath-scan for alcohol would just take too much effort in a crowded bar.
I understand the bill is created to save lives, but all it does is raise a little awareness on drunk driving and decrease Louisiana establishments’ income. Alcohol plays a big role in most people’s weekends at bars, while having to be a designated driver for a friend does not. The amount of people going out will decrease because the availability of drinks decreases, which will then lead to less drinks being sold and a lower income for the establishment.
So what is more important: Raising awareness of how stupid and dangerous drunk driving is or having healthy businesses in Louisiana’s weak economy? It’s up to you, Legislature.
Markus Hüfner is a 19-year-old mass communication freshman from Kristiansand, Norway. You can reach him on Twitter @MHufner_TDR.