Stanford alcohol ban sends ‘dangerous message’

The US Distilled Spirits Council has criticised the decision of Stanford University to ban hard liquor from campus saying that it sends a “dangerous message” and unfairly singles out spirits.

Yesterday the drinks business reported that Stanford University had taken steps to ban all undergraduate and coterminal students living in undergraduate housing from consuming or possessing 750ml and larger containers of distilled liquor, spirits and hard alcohol of 20% abv and above.

While the ban was described as “well-intentioned”, the Distilled Spirits Council has today criticised the policy for singling out distilled spirits and ignoring beer and wine, suggesting that some forms of alcohol are “softer than others”.

“Such an approach sends a dangerous message to college students that is not supported by scientific evidence”, said Kraig R. Naasz, President and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council in a statement.

“Efforts to address harmful drinking should be comprehensive and recognize that the consequences of alcohol abuse are attributable to the consumption pattern, not the type of alcohol consumed.

“We stand ready to work with universities in reviewing their alcohol policies and would urge them to utilize the best available science and proven strategies in formulating their positions. It’s important to recognize that all forms of alcohol can be consumed responsibly and all forms can be abused.

Read more

Spirits

Stanford bans hard liquor on campus

While the university said that the ban was the result of a dialogue that has been taking place among students, faculty and staff since March, it follows an incident in January 2015 which led to the conviction of Stanford swimmer Brock Turner for the sexual assault of a 22-year-old woman who was intoxicated.

Turner received a six-month prison term, three years probation, and had to register as a sex offender, but blamed the university claiming that he was a victim of Stanford’s alcohol culture.