Professor Tim Stockwell:

I wanted to acknowledge the importance of university campuses having effective policies. There are models for that but there is also the community-wide issue. It is common for young people to seek cheap alcohol here and there are special deals, happy hours and special arrangements on particular nights. There is a regulatory approach to that and an enforcement approach. Perhaps both are required. Many Canadian provinces outlaw happy hours. Bars cannot compete on price and they stick to that. That is one solution. Young people are price sensitive and local community bars as well as those on campus must all abide by that or else they will compete with each other.

There is another informal enforcement approach. There are models called alcohol accords where police work with city councils, municipalities and bar owners. It is like OPEC. They agree to fix the prices and happy hours are not allowed. Patrons are stamped when they enter a bar and, therefore, they cannot go bar hopping. One pays an admission fee and once one leaves, one is not allowed back in without paying another admission fee because there are many large groups walking round town committing crimes.

There are constructive measures when people sit down to discuss how to make their communities safer but a regulatory approach and university policies are needed as well.