2008 Woodie Awards
21-only backers voice concerns
George Sweeney - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: Metro
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Stepping Up, the Committee for Healthy Choices, and Citizens Against Drunken Students Ruining Downtown are three Iowa City groups who support the 21-ordinance.
Stepping Up began with a grant in 1996 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as "a coalition putting our efforts toward reducing the harmful effects of high-risk drinking."
Richard Dobyns, a UI clinical professor of family medicine, began the Committee for Healthy Choices in this year to examine issues that affect public health in Iowa City. His group plans to look at other issues after the Nov. 6 referendum, such as smoking.
Sanders founded Citizens Against Drunken Students Ruining Downtown recently to look at the current law's effect on Iowa City's central business district, he said. While the other two groups focus on the public-health aspect of the issue, which he said is very important, his group looks at the damage done to downtown because of the high number of drinkers.
He pointed to "vomit, urine, and broken windows" along with the large cleanup effort he said takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning as reasons Iowa City should cut down the number of drinkers downtown with the 21-ordinance.
"I know that there are students who are appalled at the incredible amount of underage drinking, the vomit, and urine downtown, and they're gonna vote yes on this," he said, noting that he didn't think the issue pitted "townies against students."
E-mail DI reporter George Sweeney at:
george-sweeney@uiowa.edu
Stepping Up began with a grant in 1996 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as "a coalition putting our efforts toward reducing the harmful effects of high-risk drinking."
Richard Dobyns, a UI clinical professor of family medicine, began the Committee for Healthy Choices in this year to examine issues that affect public health in Iowa City. His group plans to look at other issues after the Nov. 6 referendum, such as smoking.
Sanders founded Citizens Against Drunken Students Ruining Downtown recently to look at the current law's effect on Iowa City's central business district, he said. While the other two groups focus on the public-health aspect of the issue, which he said is very important, his group looks at the damage done to downtown because of the high number of drinkers.
He pointed to "vomit, urine, and broken windows" along with the large cleanup effort he said takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning as reasons Iowa City should cut down the number of drinkers downtown with the 21-ordinance.
"I know that there are students who are appalled at the incredible amount of underage drinking, the vomit, and urine downtown, and they're gonna vote yes on this," he said, noting that he didn't think the issue pitted "townies against students."
E-mail DI reporter George Sweeney at:
george-sweeney@uiowa.edu
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