State considers ban on Everclear

The state is considering a ban or restrictions on Everclear, a high-proof liquor, but University of Iowa officials, police and emergency-room doctors say those steps likely won't lessen problem drinking.

Underage and binge drinking are problems in Iowa City, those officials say, but pointing the finger at one liquor does a disservice to the overall message of responsible drinking that they want to promote.

Everclear doesn't seem to be a big problem liquor at the UI, Associate Dean of Students Tom Baker said. If it's banned, students likely would use vodka or something else to mix punch or drinks for parties, he said.

“It's all dangerous, or potentially dangerous, and drinking it straight is a dangerous practice,” Baker said. “I don't want students to think that because it's called vodka it's not dangerous.”

The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Commission is looking into the future of Everclear in the wake of a hazing incident last month at Drake University in Des Moines, where a student landed in the emergency room with a blood-alcohol content of almost 0.50. Everclear, a 151-proof neutral grain spirit nearly double the potency of standard vodka, ranks 95th on the state's “Hot 100” list of most-sold liquors.

About 50 public comments have been submitted on the Alcoholic Beverages Division Web site, www.iowaabd.com, in preparation for a public hearing in January. The comments run about 3-to-1 against a ban or more regulation.

Banning it is just one option, said Lynn Walding, administrator of the Alcoholic Beverages Division. He wants to focus the discussion on highly concentrated alcohol in general. Perhaps the state should limit the bottle sizes of high-proof liquor or offer more public education, Walding said.

“Everclear has a certain history and a certain association with underage drinking that we hear about,” he said. “The education effort can be vital.”

Baker, who handles disciplinary issues at the UI, asks students what alcohol they were mixing. He can't recall a single student this year naming Everclear. Vodka is a more popular culprit, he said.

UI residence halls and Greek houses are alcohol-free, and most student citations for public intoxication or underage drinking occur at the downtown bars or off-campus parties.

Everclear is not, however, an alcohol Iowa City Police see often when dealing with house parties, Sgt. Troy Kelsay said.

“Beer is clearly the alcohol of choice in this town,” he said.

The UI Dean of Students Office investigated 243 disciplinary cases in 2008-09, about half alcohol-related. The residence hall department investigated another 649 alcohol violations. Last year, 48 students were taken to the hospital for alcohol intoxication.

Dr. Andrew Nugent, professor and interim chairman of the UI department of emergency medicine, said he has noticed an increase in hard-liquor-related alcohol poisoning in the UI Hospitals and Clinics emergency room. Blood-alcohol levels seem to be higher than what he saw a decade ago, he said.

Everclear can be more dangerous than other liquors because of its potency.

“If you overdose on it, it certainly can be more lethal,” said Dr. Azeem Ahmed, medical director of UI AirCare and interim vice chairman of emergency medicine, “but the message I'd like to get out is about responsible alcohol use versus targeting a specific beverage.”

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