Clean Up The Community

Because the campus does not exist in a vacuum, efforts cannot focus all within the confines of the campus.   The overwhelming presence of alcohol at some events, alcohol advertising and promotion, and lax enforcement of existing laws can all contribute to binge drinking and other alcohol-related problems.  A number of activities can be considered when looking for community solutions.

Eliminate Cheap Drinks

Following a number of deaths related to alcohol poisoning and riots in 1999, police and staff at Michigan State University began efforts to curb underage and binge drinking on and around campus. University officials, local law enforcement officers, and students worked with local establishments that serve alcohol to eliminate "cheap drinks" that contributed to high risk drinking among students.  Police and local establishments also work together during major sporting events. Good, consistent communication has been established around the problems of underage drinking and fake identification. The program started at the university level, but local establishments have since taken control and now run the Responsible Hospitality council.

Operation Prevent, a program financed by New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, targets underage individuals utilizing false identification (forged or altered licenses, or other people’s IDs) to purchase alcoholic beverages.  Operation Prevent uses sting operations to arrest underage drinkers and those using false identification.  The Syracuse Area College Community Coalition created Operation Prevent, a collaborative effort between the Syracuse Police Department, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Liquor Authority, the New York State Police, Syracuse University, and Le Moyne College.  During the first two sting operations conducted in the Spring of 2003, police arrested 95 individuals for using fake IDs and 38 individuals for underage drinking. Police referred tavern owners from both sting operations to the New York State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. These operations created many leads for the police so they may locate false ID manufacturers.