Beer Pong Ban On Private Property Proposed By Evanston Alderman
EVANSTON, IL — A member of the Evanston City Council is proposing a ban on beer pong and any other games that involve alcohol when in view of neighbors or passersby.
Ald. Judy Fiske, whose 1st Ward surrounds the campus of Northwestern University, placed a discussion of an ordinance banning beer pong on the agenda of Monday's Human Service Committee meeting.
"There have been complaints about Evanston residents playing beer pong and other games involving alcohol consumption in their front yards in full view of their neighbors and the public way," according to a memo from Assistant City Attorney Brian George, who declined through a spokesperson to provide any available information about the number or locations of such complaints.
Fiske recommends the City Council review the municipal code of the borough of Belmar, New Jersey and consider using it as a "possible template" for a similar prohibition in Evanston, according to George's memo.
The Belmar ordinance forbids any "game or contest that involves as an element of the said game or contest the consumption or use of an alcohol beverage" if it can be viewed from streets, sidewalks or neighboring properties. The ban includes front yards, side yards, porches and decks.
Under Evanston City Code, the consumption of alcohol in public buildings, parks, beaches, highways, streets, alleys, sidewalks, parkways and public parking lots is forbidden unless specifically permitted by the city.
In parks, on beaches and in public buildings, even the possession of sealed alcohol containers is prohibited. It is also illegal for pedestrians be intoxicated on streets or sidewalks if it "renders himself/herself a hazard." But Fiske's proposed beer pong ban would be the first to regulate non-commercial alcohol consumption by adults on private property.
A version of beer pong involving paddles reportedly originated at fraternities at Dartmouth University in the 1950s. Both Bucknell and Lehigh universities in Pennsylvania claim the paddle-less version — also known as "throw pong" and "Beirut" — was invented at their schools. The 15th annual World Series of Beer Pong was postponed earlier this year due to the coronavirus.
Fiske has faced criticism from Northwestern students in the past for her support of the city's so-called "brothel law" or "three-unrelated rule." The ordinance makes it technically illegal for three non-family members to live in one housing unit, and tenants have alleged it contributes to unaffordable rents and exploitation by unscrupulous landlords.
Fiske did not immediately respond to questions about her proposal Monday, including how many complaints she had fielded from constituents and whether she envisioned Evanston police enforcing the beer pong ban. Any response received will be added here.
This article originally appeared on the Evanston Patch
