Feb 29, 2008 12:59 pm US/Eastern
Tailgating Banned At PNC Arts Center
Increased police presence didn't stop it.
Neither did a ban on alcoholic beverages in the parking lot.
Now authorities have decided to take an even tougher approach as they fight to stop underage drinking at PNC Arts Center in Holmdel: banning tailgating at shows that attract a predominantly young audience.
The response comes after a string of problems last summer with underage drinking at the venue, including hundreds of arrests and the hospitalization dozens, including a 12-year-old.
"By taking away the tailgating prior to the shows there should be far less opportunity for drinking and ultimately for the behavior we saw last year," said state Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri, chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which owns the open-walled arena at exit 116 of the Garden State Parkway.
Even after authorities declared a full ban on alcoholic beverages in the venue's parking lot last year, state police were still arresting 50 or 60 people at some shows, mostly for underage drinking, according to Turnpike Authority spokesman Joseph Orlando.
"So either people weren't getting the message or they were ignoring the message," Orlando said. "We just cannot continue to have the kind of scenes that we did last year."
The full ban will not be in place this year. Authorities have decided that shows that attract mature crowds which haven't been known to cause problems will be allowed to drink when they tailgate, Orlando said. Tailgating will probably be allowed at country music shows and the upcoming Eric Clapton concert, among others, he said.
Live Nation Inc., which operates PNC, and state police will help the Turnpike Authority make the final decision on when tailgating will be allowed once the concert schedule is finalized. A list will be publicized.
"We know the types of shows that cause this type of problem," Orlando said.
Orlando said he doesn't many complaints about the new rule.
"We're doing our part, state police are doing their part, you
just (have to) hope that the parents and the underage kids do their part," he said.
And if ticket sales suffer?
"We see this as a means of reducing the number of arrests in
underage drinking events; ticket sales are secondary to us," Orlando said.
Authorities launched the crackdown on drinking after last season's first show in May because 13 young patrons had to be taken to hospitals with alcohol-related illnesses.
Last August, most than 90 patrons were arrested at an O.A.R concert and 54 people were arrested at an Incubus show.
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