FROSTBURG, MD - The binge drinking rates at Frostburg State University are dropping off quickly in the past year because of a group called the Frostburg Community Coalition who wouldn't stand for it.
"Sheriff Craig Robertson did tell me that his department has been receiving less calls to assist Frostburg City Police and Frostburg State University Police since last year," since Lyndsey Baker, Coordinator of the Frostburg Community Coalition.
Lyndsey Baker heads the diverse group made up of parents, locals living in student neighborhoods, and school administrators at Frostburg and the local high school. One focus is training local bartenders and servers how to cut people off if they've drank too much, and in turn the bars post the Coalition's hand-outs.
School officials say the Coalition has made a strong partnership between them and the local community, to the point that they're even promoting the local bars as a place to go for students, using them as another venue to educate.
Police come into "F Bar" and give out voluntary breathalyzers to students throughout the night. Bar management says they've changed up their marketing to focus on their "F Shots," their popular shooters that barely have alcohol per ounce.
"They're ordering that versus a straight shot of Jack Daniels, or a straight shot of Tequila. So we've seen an increase in our liquor sales which is great, but the students aren't getting intoxicated," says Amy Davis, General Manager of F Bar.
And they're seeing results.
"I'm supposed to be called in for incidents if police are called, we don't have that anymore. We don't have the fights, it just isn't happening. It's a lot more fun environment in the evenings from what I've been told," says Davis.
A fun environment at Frostburg that's turned into less reported vandalism, fighting and big parties throughout the community.
"Sheriff Craig Robertson did tell me that his department has been receiving less calls to assist Frostburg City Police and Frostburg State University Police since last year," since Lyndsey Baker, Coordinator of the Frostburg Community Coalition.
Lyndsey Baker heads the diverse group made up of parents, locals living in student neighborhoods, and school administrators at Frostburg and the local high school. One focus is training local bartenders and servers how to cut people off if they've drank too much, and in turn the bars post the Coalition's hand-outs.
School officials say the Coalition has made a strong partnership between them and the local community, to the point that they're even promoting the local bars as a place to go for students, using them as another venue to educate.
Police come into "F Bar" and give out voluntary breathalyzers to students throughout the night. Bar management says they've changed up their marketing to focus on their "F Shots," their popular shooters that barely have alcohol per ounce.
"They're ordering that versus a straight shot of Jack Daniels, or a straight shot of Tequila. So we've seen an increase in our liquor sales which is great, but the students aren't getting intoxicated," says Amy Davis, General Manager of F Bar.
And they're seeing results.
"I'm supposed to be called in for incidents if police are called, we don't have that anymore. We don't have the fights, it just isn't happening. It's a lot more fun environment in the evenings from what I've been told," says Davis.
A fun environment at Frostburg that's turned into less reported vandalism, fighting and big parties throughout the community.
