Alabama State Sen. seeks to outlaw beer kegs.
 

(The following article reproduced was circulated in Fraternity circles.)


Long considered a requirement at college social functions,the beer keg may be soon going the way of the dodo, if state Sen. Bobby Singleton has anything to do with it

Singleton,D-Greensboro, who admitted to enjoying his share of keg beer at fraternity functions when he was at Alabama State[Univ.],has sponsored a bill in the Alabama Legislature that will outlaw retail sales of the high-volume beer barrels. Singleton said he's become one of Montgomery's most-called lawmakers since introducing the bill in the state Senate last week. The Senate passed the bill 30-0. "I probably got the first 10 calls from my fraternity brothers," the 1984 Alabama State graduate,a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, said."They weren't real happy, but this is about looking at the big picture,what's responsible and what's the right thing to do." Singleton said he sponsored the bill after being approached by members of the wine and beer industry and local law enforcement in his district,which includes Demopolis.

"I got calls from sheriffs who talked about arresting teenagers for drunk driving,and breaking up big parties in the middle of fields,where they found kegs that all the kids were drinking from." he said."These kids would have someone of age buy the keg,then come back and sell it by the cup." Legal drinkers statewide might have a problem with the limitation on their drinking habits,Singleton admitted, but the risk paled in comparison with protecting young people's lives."If these things are making it easier for young (Alabamians)to drink,then we need to stop the sale of kegs," he said. "It may not totally stop them(from drinking),but at least it will make it more difficult and expensive." Singleton said his bill--overwhelmingly approved by the the Senate--just received its first reading in the House of Representatives.

"Que Psi Phi 'til the day I die!"

They were illegal when I was at Auburn in the seventies; I don't know when they became legal. College students would drive over to Columbus, GA, where the drinking age was 18 and kegs were legal and buy them in lots.

So instead students will purchase cans in high volume?

Maybe it will drive students more towards hard alcohol/jungle juice type drinks made in large cans?

-Rudey

the only people this would affect is independants since kegs are forbidden by all national sororities and most if not all national fraternities (except with third party vendors--ie. bars)- as well as the NIC and NPC.

this was all just brought up and starting to be enforced at the campus where i am in grad school and all the students are up in arms.....what they don't realize is many of them sign alcohol policies each year saying no kegs or hard liquor except from approved third party vendors...maybe people should read things more before they sign them.

I hear that laws against underaged drinkers also won't affect the NIC and NPC since they are against it and fight it with vigilance.

-Rudey

Prohibition?

Making senseless laws only increases lawlessness because people will view them with contempt. Once on law is broken it is very easy to justify breaking another.

perhaps this law is being pushed through by the party-ball lobby.

Those things are the BEST. They're like the energizer bunny, they just keep going and going long after you think they should be done.

In all seriousness, I wouldn't be surprised if the hard alcohol/wine manufacturers have a hand in this.

Party balls are a waste of money. You don't get nearly as much beer for about the same price of a keg.

Keg = $50
Party Ball = $38.

Twelve extra bucks gets like twice as much.

I don't see why wine/liquor makers would even care. Their market is for the most part different. Rednecks and poor college kids drink cheap beer, while those with taste drink wine and whiskey. Vodka is for alcoholics and freshman girls.

They are, however, much easier for wimpy girls to carry. :) Plus they're cute.

They did the Keg and beer ball ban at my school, but they only applied it to Greek and on campus housing. Off campus apts still had them sometimes right after the ban because of the novelty, but they kinda faded after a while. Yes, 30 packs were everywhere after the ban, but the concept was to keep the public beer fountains to a min and cut down on parties, which it did. But did banning kegs end parties? Nope. Just made people more creative when they threw them.

What is a party ball?

-Rudey

It's a big plastic ball filled with beer that you tap. I can't believe I couldn't find a pic online! You probably never had one Rudith, they mostly come in Coors Light and I know that's slumming for you. :)

First of all, at least drink Bud Light.

Second of all, I can't find a picture on google.

Finally, why would you tap a ball?? Wouldn't it roll all over? How do you even carry it?

-Rudey

It comes in a box, you can fill it with ice. Here they are only like 29 bucks for 55 beers of bud light. I don't think the keg ban would be a big deal if it went through, very few houses use kegs anyway due to university restrictions. That being said, I highly doubt the NIC rules are really stopping anyone.

As long as drugs are still legal, I doubt it will affect many peoples social lives.

I've never seen or heard of a party ball before. Is this what it is?

http://www.drunkatosu.com/Pics/partyballadamjeff.jpg

Wow, I must be out of the loop, too! I've never heard of the party-ball. Things have progressed since the late '70s and early '80s, my college and undergrad frat years.

This article reminds me of my vocational interest in Public Policy Analysis in a previous incarnation, where had to look at the unintended consequences of certain government policies. It's more complex than simply banning problem substances and/or activities or modes of conveying them, even when the putative intent is noble.

"Que Psi Phi 'til the day I die!"

Yes, that is a party ball. :D

How do you put it on a table and not have it roll around?

Does it need a pump or do you just pour?

Who fills it (distributor or bar?)?

How come there isn't a handle on it?

It looks like one guy has to hold that thing all night and pour everyone's beer or he just has a massive appetite for beer and drinks it on his own.

-Rudey

Coors came out with a party ball which was in a box for home use. You also had to buy the tap for it. You owned the tap.

Being out of liquor Biz. for a while, I know they quit making them about 15 years ago. I dont know if anyone else came up with them.

I think they had @ 2 1/2 - 3 gallons of beer then in them.

Funny to see something Like this come up now!:)

I know bud and budlight makes them. I had one at my highschool graduation party a few years back.

Yeah, ball kegs were big in HS, I remember that you could get more beer for less by using balls instead of half kegs.

You guys shouldn't be drinking Coors and Bud. There is plenty of good beer out there.

In my day we called them (phonetic here, I never saw it written) O-lee balls. Can't tell if those are the same size as the old O-lee balls or not.. don't remember how much they held, but people used to get them for smaller parties, like in their apartments.

These came along in the late 80's...same time as wine coolers and beer coolers.

Wow, I've never even seen a party ball before. Those are cool because I'm big with getting a keg for parties but always have leftover beer afterwards.

...If there was beer left over in the keg the party was not done right.

That being said, we almost never use kegs, unless it's at out of the house, and even then it doesn't ever happen.

yeah, most (if not all) on-campus parties here don't have kegs. Mainly, in my opinion, because they're big and obvious and incriminating. Off campus, on the other hand, is a very different story.
But that really has nothing to do with greekchat, because all the houses here are oncampus.

I'm not talking about fraternity parties. We never had a keg party at the Pike house. I'm talking about a keg party at my own house.

we never have kegs at our fraternity parties we normally just buy 120 or so 30 packs and make alot of punch. Now since i live in my own house i do throw parties with 3 or more kegs every now and then but i live in texas and i really dont think kegs will ever be banned here.

Banning kegs and all isn't really a recipe to solve perceived problems. Usually banning a selective item will give courage to start aiming to ban more items. And that's not right!

I don't see Texas banning kegs anytime soon.