I.C. Council: Take a stand on 21

Once again, the question of who should be allowed inside Iowa City's drinking establishments is before Iowa City councilors. And this time, it finally appears the City Council has enough votes to raise the bar-entry age to 21.

It's past time to directly confront the perennial problem. Like it or not, the legal drinking age is 21. Allowing 19- and 20-year-olds to frequent bars and surrounded by alcohol, muddies the waters, at best.

Councilors expect to receive a draft 21-only ordinance at a March 22 work session; they could hold a first reading of the ordinance the next night.

Bar owners have talked for years about getting a handle on the problem themselves. They haven't.

The number of underage bar patrons caught by police with a drink in their hands is proof that the current ordinance isn't working. Iowa City Police issued 165 citations to underage drinkers during 138 bar checks in January and February of this year alone.

There is sure to be some public backlash against the 21 proposal - again. When the council deferred decision to voters in 2007, it was soundly defeated.

Once again, opponents will roll out arguments against the common sense change. They'll say banning 19- and 20-year-olds from bars will leave them with nothing to do; it will only move the problem to Iowa City neighborhoods.

We don't buy it.

Ordinances that keep those under the legal drinking age out of bars after 10 p.m. work in other cities. Bar owners there cater to younger customers by setting up separate, alcohol-free areas.

Research shows that reducing access to alcohol reduces underage drinking. That's why University of Iowa officials, who declined to weigh in the last time the bar-entry age issue came up, are supporting it this time.

The UI data is sobering: seven out of 10 students say they regularly engage in dangerous drinking - more than twice the national average of college communities. There are more incidents here of nonconsensual sexual activity, alcohol-related physical injury and alcohol-related legal trouble.

“Over the last couple of years, both the university and the community have tried a variety of ways of managing the problem of illegal and unsafe drinking,” Tom Rocklin, interim vice president for student services, said this week. “Nothing short of changing the minimum bar entry age to be consistent with the state drinking age has had a substantial effect, so it's time to try the most obvious approach to limiting access by minors to alcohol.”

Yes, miffed residents and students might petition for a citywide referendum and try to overturn council action. It's their right. But risk of voter override shouldn't dissuade the council from taking a stand.

For too long, Iowa City has been a destination and a haven for underage drinkers. Nothing else is working, so step up, councilors. Raise the age.