Friday, March 12, 2010
News "18 to party, 21 to drink" could soon be back, baby
Posted by Scott Henry @ScottTheHenry on Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 6:28 PM
Remember the days of hanging out with the cool kids at all-ages clubs and getting your older brother to buy you beers?
Well, unless you're at least in your late 20s now (or went to clubs that may have bent the rules), you shouldn't remember those days. That's because it's been nearly a decade since Atlanta banned under-21 customers from the city's bars and nightclubs.
(Keep in mind that the city defines a night spot by what kind of license it holds. Therefore, Tongue & Groove is a "nightclub," but the Masquerade is a "restaurant" and Opera is an "event facility.")
Anyway, the city appears to be getting ready to repeal the section of its code that prohibits young'uns from venturing into nightclubs and bars. Now, before you late Millennials get too excited, I should point out that state law already makes bars off-limits to anyone under 18.
In fact, it's because of the state law that Atlanta is forced to repeal its code section. Here's the short version: In 2001, Atlanta passed an ordinance prohibiting anyone under 21 from entering a bar unless he was employed there. In a 2007 measure aimed at underage strippers, the city removed that exception, rewriting the code to prohibit anyone under 21 from entering a bar for any reason.
Five 19- and 20-year-old Cheetah dancers soon filed a lawsuit challenging the ordinance and the case went all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court. Last September, the justices ruled unanimously that the city code was in violation of state law, which explicitly allows 18-year-olds to work in bars and nightclubs — even pouring booze that they're too young to legally drink. (Hey, we never said state law made sense.)
So now we have a proposal — drafted, I believe, by the city's law department — that would scrap the court-stricken code section in its entirety. Lawyer Alan Begner, who represented the Cheetah girls, believes this action would open the door for the return of over-18 clubs in the mold of the somewhat fondly remembered Wreck Room and Somber Reptile.
(Begner, a celebrated smut attorney, has had a good week; on Thursday, he successfully won acquittals for the “Atlanta Eagle Eight.”)
Begner cautions, however, that the repeal of the code doesn't mean individual bars must allow 18-year-olds to enter. Nor does the Supreme Court ruling mean that the city can't pass another ordinance banning teens from bars — so long as it doesn't try to prohibit them from working there.
But, wait; not so fast. When I called Councilman Ivory Young, who chairs the Council's Public Safety Committee, he said he hadn't yet seen the proposal to repeal the code section, but added that he was unlikely to approve it in its current form.
"I won't be supportive of any effort to allow teenagers to have anything to do with alcohol," he said. "Young people have enough challenges as it is."
Hmm, perhaps you kids shouldn't retire your fake IDs just yet.
Comments (2)
Showing 1-2 of 2
Most states in the nation adopted a minimum drinking age of 21 soon after federal passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which required states to maintain a minimum drinking age of 21. Under the Federal Aid Highway Act, States were required to enforce the minimum drinking age of 18 in order to avoid a 10% reduction in federal highway funds. The original intention of the law was to reduce the incidents of alcohol-related accidents among people under 21. But since passage of this legislation, and the raising of the drinking age in many states, the percentage of people who drink between the ages of 18 to 20 has skyrocketed. Many say the prohibitions have actually encouraged secretive binge drinking, more dangerous behavior, and less educational programming targeting this age group. Respected law enforcement officials and university presidents have recently called for changes in the federal law to permit states to lower the drinking age. At age 18, people are legal adults. As much as their parents may think otherwise, they are no longer children. They have the right to vote and help choose the President of the United States. They can go to war to defend our country, and they can legally purchase guns and cigarettes. It is absolutely absurd that they cannot have a beer or glass of wine without fear of possible arrest and prosecution. It's time for the nation to repeal these Prohibition-era laws and adopt a more intelligent, progressive, and educational approach to drinking among younger adults. These laws simply don't work, they aren't enforceable any longer, and if anything they are counterproductive. Literally millions of responsible young adults are already consuming alcohol and that's not going to change. What we need to do is stop wasting the taxpayers money chasing, charging and prosecuting responsible young adults who want to have a beer, and start putting the money where it ought to be, in promoting smart education about responsible drinking, and in pursuing far more serious criminals, including those at all ages who drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs. -- Eric Paine President & Founder Drink At 18 http://drinkat18.com/
like
dislike
Latest in Fresh Loaf
-
Time and Place: Read between the lines
To me this photo is about doing your own thing and following your own path in life.
-
Vernon Jones wants to return to the Gold Dome and other interesting qualification tidbits 1
Qualifying period ends, dust settles, campaigns begin
-
Suspects in Pittsburgh gay bashing slated to go to trial Tuesday
The men accused of beating Brandon White in Southwest Atlanta already headed to court
- More »
More by Author
-
'Let them eat Hermes scarves' or 'Poor Ann Romney' 1
The Romneys are unable to quit "Romneying"
-
Surprisingly moderate-seeming Newt drops in on House 1
Newt touts Speaker Tom Murphy during visit to state House
- More »
