One of the last remaining bars near the University of Otago campus has been purchased by the Otago University Students' Association. Starters Bar on Frederick St provides a safe drinking location for students, according to the Association, while also putting a hold on the decline of student bars.
Jason Schroeder, OUSA events manager, said that flat parties were the “wild west of drinking.”
"It’s so cheap now to buy a bottle of vodka or RTDs and punish them, and next thing you’re passed out at 11 o'clock at night, which happens all the time at flat parties but doesn’t happen at bars because you won’t get served if you’re that intoxicated and you’ve got people who’re there to give you water and provide that support.”
A recent survey carried out by the University of Otago found that student drinking in pubs had declined significantly over the years, due in no small part to the closing of the Bowling Green Tavern and the iconic Gardies pub. In 2013, 74 percent of students had drunk at a pub within the last week. By 2013, that number had dropped to just 52 percent.
“Whether it’s security that can turn away unwanted guests and people who start to show aggressive unsafe behaviour, or people who know how to monitor intoxication to ensure that people are drinking responsibly,” Schroeder said.
