Tapped out

Found at house, apartment and fraternity parties everywhere, kegs are a staple of the college lifestyle. But now, area liquor stores like Big Red Liquors will be tracking keg-buyers in accordance with Indiana state law.\nPassed on July 1, Senate Bill 97 made it easier for those who buy kegs for underage drinkers to get caught. Under the new law, when a keg is sold, it is tracked by a sticker containing a registration number for the keg, the clerk's name who sold it and the name, address, date of birth and signature of the buyer.\nAfter the keg is taken home or to a party, the buyer, if caught by local police, will have to worry about the party being shut down or getting caught with underage drinkers. Bloomington Police Department Sergeant Joe Sanders said not only will the buyer have to face a $500 fine and a 60-day jail sentence, but multiple citations.\n"The way we handle underage drinking at parties is to locate the hosts, close the party down and then ID and cite everybody as necessary. Then we deal with the party holders," Sanders said.\nFinding out who the party holders and the alcohol supplier are will be much easier for the BPD with the new tracking system. \nMaking keg-buyers more accountable when they purchase alcoholic beverages is an added benefit, said Big Red Liquors Director of Promotions Rob Williamson.\n"It makes the person purchasing the keg more responsible for their actions, so people better think twice about purchasing a keg for minors or a party with underage drinkers," he said. "If the party is broken up and the keg is discovered, the buyer will be held liable."\nWhile the law will make it easier to identify who bought the alcohol, Dean of Students Richard McKaig says it will also make his job less stressful.\n"It should make my job easier. When there has been an incident where a student was involved, generally, no one can remember who bought the beer," McKaig said. "I'm not naïve, but this will clear everything up once and for all."\nCourtney Hall, Beer Manager at the Big Red Liquors at 418 N. College Avenue, said the keg registration will be more of an aggravation for purchasers than the store.\n"It's not really that big of a deal because it's a little more work for us. Getting the kegs out the door will be more of a hassle for the customers than us," he said.\nSome Big Red customers who thought the law was already in place have voiced their opinions and concerns to Hall.\n"They said they weren't going to buy any more kegs. They said they were going to stick with cases instead," he said. "We're not really sure how it is going to affect our business, but I think we'll sell a few less kegs."\nGoing from keg parties to case parties could be a likely turn of events, said senior Josh Ross.\n"If the law is enforced, even though I doubt it will be, I think you'll see a lot more cases of beer being sold instead of kegs of beer," he said. "Parties will go to Keystone Light or Natural Light can parties, rather than Bud Light keg parties."\nMcKaig agreed, but noted that studies have shown switching from kegs to cans actually decreases consumption.\nOverall, Ross said he thinks the law is a ridiculous move on behalf of the state government.\n"I think that the lawmakers need to find something better to do with their time," Ross said. "I think it is a law that won't be enforced like they say it will. Instead, it will pretty much be a burden on people who just want to get a buzz."\n-- Contact staff writer Julia Blanford at jblanford@indiana.edu.