MADD reacts to UTEP’s decision to sell beer

UTEP’s unexpected decision to sell beer at its football and basketball games has led to a lot of reaction. This is a first for the university.

ABC-7 received some emails and Facebook posts from viewers who were upset that the university will now allow beer sales, starting with Saturday’s homecoming game at the Sun Bowl.

Santiago Romero wrote an email saying “recently many of the traffic accidents involve three things: alcohol, speed and not wearing seat belts. And now UTEP wants to sell beer at football games. That’s all we need, more drunk fans driving home with their families in the car.”

Virginia Gonzalez, executive director of the West Texas chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving pointed out that almost 70 percent of the traffic fatalities in El Paso last year were alcohol related. Gonzalez admitted that she is concerned about UTEP’s decision to sell beer at its athletic events.

UTEP became only the 22nd school out of 120 that play Division 1 football to make beer sales legal at its stadium, and out of those 22 stadiums only a dozen of them, including UTEP’s are on campus.

It’s something that worries Gonzalez.

“Our concern is just the underage because it is a college campus,” Gonzalez said. “Making sure they are being protected and making sure that everything is done responsibly. Maybe we could even encourage that alternate options be given in regards to getting people home safe.”

(Oct. 2012 story)