Greek Hard Alcohol Ban Lacks Enforcement Plan

The IFC has failed to detail enforcement policy as bylaw-amendment deadline approaches

By: Claire Redell

It’s been a few weeks since the Interfraternity Council (IFC) implemented a hard alcohol ban for the majority of chapters on campus. The IFC has yet to release any specifics as to how exactly the ban will be enforced, raising questions about how strict the assumed self-policing will be. Given the common trend of alcohol abuse at fraternities and the minimal intervention from law enforcement, the ban should be viewed with skepticism until tangible proof of its effectiveness is shown. 

Although this is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for reversing deep-rooted stigmas for Greek life on campus, many think the ban is long overdue. In an interview with the Minnesota Daily, University IFC President Billy Langer called the ban a “no-brainer.” This is unfortunate considering that if the ban had been implemented earlier, it could have prevented the two over-consumption deaths experienced in the Greek community this past year. 

Illustration by Semira Mesfin

Beyond amending fraternity bylaws, the Greek community needs to figure out how to re-educate its members on the dangers of over-consumption in order to weaken their notoriously strong ties between social events and binge drinking. The IFC’s proactive decision to to implement the ban earlier than the NIC suggested is admirable, but many hold doubts that the policy will be effective without potential punishments in place. 

Moreover, the ban draws even more of a divide between national and local chapters, specifically Tau Kappa Epsilon, Kappa Sigma, and Phi Delta Theta that aren’t required to adhere to the ban, since they aren’t part of the NIC. 

Still, it is important to commend the change for its potential to address systemic issues in Greek culture surrounding alcohol-related incidents. The hard alcohol ban should not be expected to completely eradicate the problem. Instead, it should serve as a launchpad into re-examining drinking culture in Greek life as a whole. Optimistically speaking, it is more than possible that the Greek community will be able to make gradual progress towards reversing the upward trend of alcohol abuse in the coming years.