Issue: Business owners, local citizens and the City Council have been discussing and debating Pub Crawl.

There is no need for debate. Pub Crawl is disgusting.

Its title encourages binge drinking on a massive scale (think “crawl”). The point is for people to sustain drunkenness throughout an entire day. Businesses don’t encourage it, but this mentality prevails amongst the student body. This is not a respectable way for any business to make money.

On a typical night, we are proud of our city’s downtown atmosphere. It is respectable and clean, alive and vibrant. It maintains a small-town charm.

But there is nothing classy about Pub Crawl.

Hundreds of drunken students clog Main Street for an entire Saturday. When the sun comes up the next day, it gives light to a street full of garbage. Puke on the curbs and half-eaten pizza scattered on the sidewalk entices no one to a walk downtown – let alone to shop.

And more than the trashy atmosphere, it’s not safe.

Individuals have the right to decide how much they want to drink. They are 100-percent responsible for their own safety. Businesses do not condone drunk driving or any of the potential dangers of binge drinking. But regardless of their intentions, dangerous behavior is the end result.

The City Council does not have a legal right to ban Pub Crawl. But they shouldn’t need it. The bar owners should not want to make money from something that needs increased police presence to monitor fights and drunk driving.

Making money is good. Businesses should strive to accomplish this. Serving alcohol is legal. Responsible drinking is social and healthy.

But an event organizing mass drinking is not.

Stance: The Pub Crawl tradition should come to an end.

Editorial Board:

Emma DeJong, Editor-in-Chief

Drue Aman, Managing Editor

Laura Cox, Opinion Editor

The editorial board meets and agrees on the issue of the editorial. The editorial represents the opinion of The Collegian.