At last night's State College Borough Council work session, the council discussed the need for something to be done following the two recent crashes that police say were alcohol related.
Council Member Elizabeth Goreham brought up the dangerous behavior that sometimes happens downtown.
"The statistics are disturbing," she said. "It is something that deserves our attention."
Council President Cathy Dauler suggested that the item be on an agenda in the future.
Dauler said that some fraternities in town have come up with better strategies to curb dangerous drinking.
Dauler said the fraternities have tried to change their culture and have tried to be able to recognize when people have too much to drink and help them before they become a fatality and that this was a positive step forward.
Goreham said that she thought the best thing that the council could do was to heighten awareness about dangerous drinking and its consequences.
"I think we should heighten awareness and do something proactively to discourage this alcohol promoting environment," she said. "Lives are being ruined."
Goreham said the recent DUI crashes have been tragedies and that she is very disturbed by them.
"We have to stop this binge drinking, we have to provide other things for young people to do or make it not cool anymore," she said.
The council also continued their discussion of the 2007 operating budget at the work session.
One of the issues discussed was parking and the surplus of spaces the borough now has in the garages located downtown.
Council discussed the need to better market the fact that the borough offers monthly passes for the downtown garages to those who might be interested in obtaining one.
"We need to encourage usage," Council Member Don Hahn said.
They also discussed the possibility of changing the parking rates in the future.
Mentions were made of either raising or lowering them as possible ways to either increase revenue, or increase usage.
The council is slated to vote on the budget at their meeting on Dec. 18.
