Beach Beer Ban Ineffective Solution

The article “Beach Brawl Leads to Ban on Alcohol” (July 1) is of concern to Beer Drinkers of America. Our organization is a nonprofit consumer advocacy group with more than 700,000 members nationwide.

The proposed ban on alcohol at Bolsa Chica State Beach, Huntington Beach and Crystal Cove State Beach is not an effective solution to drinking problems. We encourage (Orange Coast) Supt. Jack Roggenbuck and other officials at the State Parks and Recreation Department to consider more creative approaches to addressing such problems at Orange County beaches.

The 98% of adults who consume beer and other alcoholic beverages in moderation are penalized along with the tiny minority who behave irresponsibly. If anything, bans don’t solve the problems but merely drive them underground or onto different turf.

The small number of abusive drinkers who cause serious trouble generally have little respect for the law anyway and are not likely to behave responsibly under any circumstances. Enforcement of existing laws to deal selectively with cases of public drunkenness, drunk driving or excessive rowdiness should be more than adequate to deal with the troublemakers.

Enforcement of a blanket alcohol ban also is extremely demanding, if not impossible, especially in beach communities that experience a large influx of people on holidays and during vacations. Hard-working law enforcement officers are already stretched to the limit dealing with real lawbreakers.

Orange County state beaches should apply educational solutions to problems like these, not last-resort methods such as the planned alcohol ban. While no program is a cure-all, our hands-on PartySmart project has helped both Daytona Beach, Fla., and South Padre Island, Tex., beaches effectively address alcohol abuse problems over the past few years.

We urge Roggenbuck to consider implementing an alcohol awareness program to address problems associated with irresponsible, abusive drinking, rather than imposing restrictions on law-abiding adults who simply want to enjoy a cold beer at the beach.

LOIS WOOD ADAMS, Vice president, Beer Drinkers of America, Costa Mesa