The University of Maryland approved a trial plan that will allow the school to sell beer and wine at football games, as well as at other sporting venues starting in the fall.
The plan was initiated by students and has to get approval from the Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners before it can be implemented.
According to the university, selling alcohol at sporting events could bring in as much as $500,000 that officials say would be used to help fund student services including mental health counseling, sexual assault prevention and responsible drinking programs.
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University IDs will be checked in order to help prevent underage drinking.
However, many are still concerned about the consequences that could come from providing alcohol at these events such as binge drinking and underage drinking.
University of Maryland president Wallace D. Loh addresses some of these concerns in a letter to the campus community.
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He discusses the importance of educating students about safe drinking and talks about programs that the university already has in place to do so. He also cites examples of other schools that sell alcohol at athletic venues and explains that there hasn’t been an increase of binge drinking at these schools.
According to Loh, about 85 percent of attendees at athletic events are over the age of 21 and there will be strict procedures put in place to prevent underage drinking at venues including carding everyone who wants to buy alcohol and swiftly punishing those who try to purchase alcohol with fake identification.
The Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners will address the proposal on July 8 during a public hearing.
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