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A few downsides...
I agree with everyone here that having a DD is very important if you are going to be drinking... not going to argue that point...
but let me play devils advocate...
(1) Why should an organization have to mandate an organized DD program rather than teaching its members to be responsible. As a 30-something year old woman, if I am going to be out and having drinks, I am responsible enough to make sure to have a sober driver.... sometimes this means that I get to have a few glasses of wine with dinner and sometimes I have to be the driver for my husband if he's going to have a few beers. If sisters are going out together - they should be adult enough to designate someone to drive or stay sober so that the group arrives home safely.
(2) We're talking about non-chapter events here, right? I agree that for chapter sponsored events, a DD program or buses are a must. The chapter is responsible for the event and the full liability of the event is on the fraternity. However, if we are simply talking about members going out on their own, you are now taking an event that was not at all a fraternity event and turning it into one from a liability standpoint. If something does happen to the "sober" car, it is now extremely easy for the fraternity to be held liable, because, although the event was not chapter sponsored, the ride home was. Why would you want to put the chapter or national organization at more risk than it is already?
(3) The chapter members personal auto insurance is absorbing any cost for an accident. It is widely misunderstood that, because the sister is providing a ride at the fraternity's request, that the fraternity's insurance will kick in to pay if there is an accident. This is, in most cases, not true. When a member is playing taxi cab for the chapter, their personal auto insurance is what is protecting that car. I was fortunate enough to have my parents pay my auto insurance for me when I was in school. They would have flipped to find out that I was putting my car at additional risk for my chapter. They would never have a problem with me giving a sober ride home to a friend - don't misunderstand me - but if I have a pager or cell phone and am the designated taxi cab for the chapter, that would be a different story.
(4) I agree with most posters that many underage students will drink. I also do think that programs like this do allow underage students more opportunity to drink - but it's likely that they were going to drink somewhere anyway. My issue on this front is what do you do with underage members that use the DD because they have been drinking. You want them to use the DD program if they have been drinking but now that they have admitted that they have broken fraternity, university, state, and federal law, do you bring them in front of your standards board???? You should. However doing so will stop underage sisters from using the program and since roughly 3/4 of every chapter is probably underage - why have the program at all if only 1/4 will/can use it.
Please don't misunderstand my point. Our chapter members' safety is most important. I just don't think that you need to jeopardize your organization to keep your members safe. Work out a DD program on a night by night basis and allow your members to be the adults that they claim to be by acting responsibly.
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