Madison is looking to raise prices at local bars in an effort to combat underage drinking by college students.

“I’m open to any kind of strategy to stop alcohol abuse,” Michael Viney, assistant chancellor for student affairs, said.

Alcohol issues are common among college campuses, regardless of location. The easiest way to offset the number of underage drinkers is to offer alcohol-free opportunities for those students, Viney said. The chances of drink prices inflating in Platteville are unlikely, however, due largely to the population size.

“If people are going to go through the hassle for false IDs, an extra buck on drinks won’t stop them from buying them,” Frank Moullet, Student Senate president, said.

There is still the issue of dealing with underage drinking. With the renovation of Glenview Commons to be completed for next semester, the number of underage alcohol incidents should go down. Similar results have been seen with previous renovations. When the PAC was opened, the number of on campus underage drinking incidents simultaneously decreased. Increasing prices won’t stop people from buying what they want, but offering these new alternatives, like in Glenview, will.

“It’s been a trend that with something new on campus for people to do, underage drinking has gone down,” Viney said.

Students should take advantage of the over 200 organizations UW-Platteville has to offer. If students are being kept busy, they shouldn’t be led to drink, Moullet said. There are several initiatives to reach out to students and teach responsibility and drinking.

“We’re not going to tell students what they can and cannot do, but we do want to stress responsibility in their choices,” Katie Tollefson, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse program graduate assistant, said.

Both Viney and Moullet said students should be held accountable for what they do.

It is the student’s choice ultimately to drink or not, but there are many entertainment alternatives that won’t lead to trouble situations. One of the main reasons beer is served in the Pioneer Haus is to show that drinking is part of life. People need to learn how to be responsible with that societal norm, instead of ignoring the fact completely, Viney said.

People have the perception that students drink a lot at Platteville, Tollefson said. If people start talking about activities that don’t include alcohol, then students will start to realize not everyone goes out drinking as much as they may have thought.