In their unending quest to save young adults from themselves, the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration has taken it upon themselves to
ban grain alcohol, joining at least a dozen other states that already ban the 190-proof alcohol, commonly sold under the brand name Everclear.
The banning was not in response to any specific incidents. "We're trying new approaches to age-old problems: underage drinking and alcohol abuse," said spokesman Gig Robinson.
Not any specific incidents? Well why the change then?
Marshall University associate dean of student affairs Carla Lapelle was among those requesting action. "It has traditionally been purchased by groups of people, often college students, who are intent on getting very drunk and who suffer serious consequences from a severe hangover to falling victim to sexual assault or even a car crash," she said. Lapelle said she was unaware of any such incidents involving grain alcohol among students at Marshall, which already bans all alcohol on campus, but considered the move prudent.
Again, no specific incidents provoking this move.
James Pino, a 21-year-old Marshall sophomore...called the ban "ridiculous," saying it was blaming a certain kind of alcohol for problems caused by irresponsible drinkers. "I hope the people who pushed for this ban aren't expecting to see a decrease in alcohol poisoning or underage drinking," he said. "You can still go out and drink a case or two of beer and have problems." Pino said college officials should focus more on educating students about the dangers of binge drinking.
Someone speaks some sense, finally.
You can ban 190-proof alcohol, you can ban 150-proof alcohol...go ahead and ban 80 and 40-proof alcohol, it won't change anything. Every negative consequence associated with heavy alcohol consumption (date rape, domestic violence, drunk driving, alcohol poisoning) can and does occur with nothing more than beer. Quit with the foreplay, re-introduce the 18th Amendment if that is what you want...or get out of the way and let people who aren't raving dogmatists make the rules and educate the public.
The only way we will change anything is through education. Banning this, banning that, may make lawmakers feel better, but I haven't found a single instance in human history where the banning of any substance has had anything but a negative effect.
"We applaud their efforts to try to reduce the negative consequences of the consumption of grain alcohol," said West Virginia University spokeswoman Becky Lofstead. But Lofstead said she, too, could recall no specific episodes blamed on grain alcohol abuse.