Response to Proposed Alcohol Changes at UNB

Response to Proposed Alcohol Changes at UNB

January 31, 2019

The Student Union opposes many of the proposed changes to the UNB alcohol policy, including a two drink maximum on each order and the banning of caffeinated drinks in campus bars. While we strongly support a safe drinking environment on campus, we do not believe these proposed changes are a step forward towards this goal.

We trust the bar staff on our campus who are already highly trained in environments where alcohol-related incidents are a risk. These regulations make their jobs harder, not easier, to keep track of potential overconsumption.

Strict regulations can encourage students to drink off campus. It is important to keep students drinking on campus, where there are resources to keep us safe, such as bar staff, SUB Staff, Residence Life staff, SafeWalk, SafeRide, Campus Patrol, and UNB Security. Additional restrictions can also lead students to unsafely binge drink prior to coming to campus bars.

The UNBSU believes in educational campaigns to raise awareness about responsible alcohol consumption such as our UNBSU Drinksmart program. We have and will continue to voice these concerns on behalf of UNB students to the UNB Alcohol Policy Review Committee.