Revoking license won't stem underage drinking

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin's call for the state to revoke the liquor license at the PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, is a misguided attempt to quash the problem of underage drinking at the amphitheater. The reason she's off the mark is because it is unlikely that the concert venue's staff or its alcohol sales are responsible for the underage drinking that has taken place there.

Handlin last week asked the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control to take action in response to reports that 15 concertgoers, 13 of them minors, were treated for alcohol poisoning or other drinking-related injuries during and after a performance by pop star Gwen Stefani on May 18. The assemblywoman, who represents parts of Monmouth and Middlesex counties, said many constituents had contacted her about the problem, and she does not want the summer concert season to proceed without a severe crackdown.

Handlin and other local and state officials are correct that something needs to be done about the problem. Just what course of action to take is a matter of discussion between the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the New Jersey State Police and Live Nation, the company that leases the venue from the Turnpike Authority.

But the minors in question are finding ways to obtain alcohol off premises and drinking it in the parking lots or elsewhere prior to the shows. It is virtually impossible to bring alcohol into the show, and equally difficult for a minor to be served inside the venue, given the strict identification system, the relatively steep prices and per-person limits on beer sales.

The problem has more to do with parents making sure that their children are chaperoned and do not have access to alcohol when they go to a show. That said, it is true that police and security personnel can play a greater role by seeking out and arresting underage drinkers in the parking lots. Perhaps, as Handlin said, the arts center should be required to arrange for adequate surveillance and security in the venue and the parking areas. That is a more sensible solution.

Revoking the liquor license is unlikely to have any effect on underage drinking, and in all likelihood, would prompt the venue to find other ways to make up for the loss of profits on beer sales. With the ever-increasing costs of attending a concert, we don't need to pay more for tickets or refreshments or to fork out money for parking. For the most part, the move would only serve to penalize those who drink responsibly at shows.