Ames activists are working to curb drinking habits in Ames and across Iowa.

“We have a five-pronged campaign with the dual goal of reducing overconsumption and underage drinking,” said George Belitsos, director of Ames Youth and Shelter Services.

He and Jan Beran, member of the Youth and Shelter Services Board of Directors, are spearheading these efforts, he said.

An increase in the excise tax on beer and required registration of beer kegs are issues currently being pursued in state government, and the expansion of regulations on low-cost drink specials will likely be brought before city government within the next few months, Belitsos said.

Other parts of the effort include education on the consequences of drinking. Alcohol merchants are also being trained to check IDs more thoroughly and asked to voluntarily end drink specials encouraging binge drinking, Belitsos said.

Ames already has a drink special ordinance prohibiting “drink buffets” in which a customer pays a single cover charge to drink an unlimited quantity of alcohol.

This ordinance should be expanded to prohibit very inexpensive drink specials as well, Belitsos said.

“We want the ordinance to prohibit penny pitchers and nickel draws, which promote overconsumption,” he said.

The issue would likely be brought before the City Council in May or June, Belitsos said. At least one councilman, Riad Mahayni, said he would support such an ordinance.

“I think this is a serious issue and we need to start an educational campaign to limit chances for the misuse of alcohol,” Mahayni said.

Many steps must be taken before the ordinance is passed, he said.

After the idea for further regulation on drink specials is introduced the council must refer the issue to city staff for analysis. After review, the staff presents its findings to the council, which then decides whether to proceed further. If the council decides the issue warrants an ordinance, City Attorney John Klaus is assigned to write it. After the ordinance is drafted, it is opened for public input and ultimately voted on by the City Council.

Low-price drink specials do not encourage irresponsible drinking habits, said Zuko Miller, manager of Big Shots, 2522 Chamberlain St.

Patrons who take part in the “any coin, any drink” special at Big Shots Thursday nights must pay a $6 cover charge, he said. This cover makes up for the cost of drinks for most patrons, Miller said.

Big Shots is usually at occupancy on drink special nights, Miller said, so a change in the city ordinance would likely have a detrimental affect on the business unless the special offered was changed.

“We definitely would be opposed to a new ordinance,” he said.

Bills for an increased tax on beer are currently in both the Iowa House of Representatives and the Iowa Senate. The bills double the tax on beer from 19 cents to 38 cents per gallon.

This amounts to a 2 cent increase in the cost of a 12-ounce serving of beer, Beran said. Money gained from the bills would provide as much as $14 million in additional revenues for the state and reducing underage drinking by 11 percent, she said.

Despite this, the bills have little chance of becoming law during this legislative session, said Sen. John Putney, R-Gladbrook. The bill is currently in the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee, which Putney is chairman of.

“We’re not interested in raising taxes on blue collar workers,” Putney said.

The bill could lead to leakage of money from Iowa’s border counties, as residents would cross state lines to obtain cheaper beer, he said.

“We have no plans to move the bill this session,” he said.

A House bill requiring beer kegs to be tagged with a registration number has a good chance of passing through the House and Senate, Belitsos said.

If the bill does die before it comes before Gov. Tom Vilsack for ratification, Belitsos said he will ask the Story County Board of Supervisors to approve a similar measure for the county.