Senate passes bill to make keg parties a thing of the past

I have to admit that they had good intentions on this one. Then again, you know what they say about the road to disaster and good intentions. I'm afraid that the good lawmakers may have created a false sense of security.

This is what I'm talking about:

If the bill becomes law, people could drink draft beer only at a bar, restaurant, private club or other retail establishment licensed for beer sales by the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, said Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, the bill's sponsor. People could not buy a keg and take it elsewhere to drink.

Singleton said he proposed the bill in an effort to stop teenagers from drinking beer.

Personally, I think that they may have watched Animal House one too many times.

Being nearly 27 now, it wasn't very long ago that I was in college. I was in a sorority, and I went to my share of parties at a school that had a "dry" campus and was not supposed to be a party school, or so my father told me when he agreed to let me go. Boy, was he ever mistaken. Not only did we have parties that involved alcohol, but the parties also included guests from nearby "party" schools who decided that our parties were better. The campus police were even known to join us on occasion.

But kegs? I don't recall ever having seen those. There was indeed a hearty supply of alcohol, but not a keg in sight. Most of the parties were strictly BYOB, which meant that alcohol was purchased in small amounts-- usually a six-pack or case per purchase. And the purchases didn't just include beer. Wine coolers and other malt beverages such as hard lemonade were far more popular.

Unless these same legislators want to ban all sell of alcohol to anyone, chances are that there will be no dents made in the amount of teenage drinking. And we all know how well it worked the last time we tried prohibition. Besides, I very much look forward to getting back to my occasional glass of chardonnay or bottle of Smirnoff twist (apple, yummy!) before bedtime.