I am writing in response to a State News article (“Proposed bill suggests new keg regulations,” SN 10/18).

I’m glad that our elected officials have nothing better to do than try and regulate the weekend activities of college students. I’ve heard that our state has some real issues, like poverty, violence and a failing education system, but politicians have instead decided to concentrate their efforts on keeping college students sober. Perhaps binge drinking does lead to a variety of problems, but a law requiring keg registration is not going to stop binge drinking. The idea itself is ludicrous. Let’s see, it’ll be harder to buy a keg than a gun?

Most alcohol regulations, including this one, seem to be aimed at college students and young people in general. Unfortunately, a large number of alcohol-related problems are created by people of all ages. College students seem to be an unfairly targeted demographic by politicians, perhaps because they do not have much political influence. Most of the alcohol-related problems I have witnessed, however, stem from hard liquor consumption rather than from drinking keg beer.

Even if alcohol consumption among young people is a legitimate problem, harsher regulation is not the solution. Prohibition failed. The war on drugs is at a stalemate - the illegal drug market is booming and spreading violence in our inner cities.

Alcohol itself is not a source of problems, although it may amplify problems that already exist. The solution to alcohol problems is not regulation but education.

Mary Krizan
political science sophomore