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News From 91.3 KUWS
Zero tolerance alcohol for snomobilers gets mixed reviews
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Story posted Sunday at 6:06 p.m. 1/17/2010 |
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has a sticker for snowmobilers in hopes of getting people to pledge to stay away from drinking while snowmobiling. Mike Simonson reports.
The Zero Alcohol campaign isn't law, it's more of a hope. DNR Snowmobile Safety Administrator Gary Eddy hopes that these "zero alcohol" stickers will use peer pressure to get snowmobilers to have no drinks while driving. Last year, 23 people were killed in Wisconsin while snowmobiling, and 70% of those cases involved alcohol.
"We do get a lot of feedback from snowmobilers. That's why they choose not to ride during the evening hours or the weekend. It's response to a public trail system, boy, you really hate to hear that people are scared to go out on a public trail because of this."
But at least one up north bar owner thinks a zero alcohol campaign may send the wrong message to snowmobile enthusiasts.
"The economy in the northwoods depends on this sport and the restaurants and the bars depend on it. And if you go to something like that, people won't come up here to go snowmobiling."
Sue Slominski of Slo's Pub at Big Arbor Vita Lake says they sponsor an annual poker run requiring snowmobilers to stop at five bars although not necessarily on the same evening. She says they don't push booze, they're just as much restaurants as pubs. And they encourage safety.
"Oh yeah, I tell everyone when they come in: 'Be careful. Make sure you watch the speed limits. We try not to over-serve anybody but we don't know where they were when they got here."
Conservation wardens will be distributing the Zero Alcohol stickers to snowmobilers who pledge not to drive with John Barleycorn or Jack Daniels.
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