Bar flies beware--the cost of a drink in State College could increase sometime in the future.

The State College Borough Council is considering a per-drink tax on alcoholic beverages at local restaurants and bars -- a move imposed to recover costs from "alcohol abuse" in the borough, the mayor said.

"There has just been a general increase in dangerous drinking, and this is an avenue being explored to deal with that," State College Mayor Bill Welch said.

While the proposed tax may upset restaurant owners, council president Cathy Dauler said she thinks students will remain unaffected.

"I don't know how much they will even pay attention -- I'm sure the drink specials will continue unabated and [students] will probably go where the best deal is," she said.

Justin Kramm, owner of The Gingerbread Man, 130 Heister St., said it is hard to tell how the tax would affect local businesses.

"[The tax] would definitely influence our pricing on things, but I don't think people would drink any less," Kramm said. "I think the hardest thing for the borough would be to enforce the tax, because there are different ways you can ring in drinks."

Kramm said there is no accurate method for bars reporting how many drinks are sold each night so the tax would be impossible to enforce.

Tim Reside (freshman-communications) said he doubts bar business would decline if the tax is implemented.

"If people want to drink, they will -- money won't deter them," Reside said, "I think the reason behind the tax is an excuse to get people's money."

Dauler said the tax has been proposed for the borough to gain additional revenue to be spent on police services.

"The revenue would be supplied by the people who use the police services -- the people who are drinking the alcohol," Dauler said.

Because the council does not have authority to levy this tax, it will work with the university as well as other communities to gain needed support in Harrisburg, Dauler said.

"I would think the next logical thing would be to recruit college communities and lobby the legislature," Welch said.

Gina Ignasiak (junior-English) said she would be happy to see a tax like this implemented if it would help monitor student drinking.

"I say go for it," Ignasiak said. "Why not if it will help save lives -- even just one life is enough."

Michael Caruso, owner and manager of The Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave., said he also understands why the borough is considering the tax.

"There is a fairness to the idea -- no one can dispute the alcohol-related cases that have occurred," Caruso said.

In October, Anthony Torsell, a Penn State junior, allegedly hit two men while driving drunk -- killing one and severely injuring the other, according to court documents.

According to court documents, in early December, freshman Michael Drauch was hit by a car driven by Katherine Applegate, a former Penn State student, who police said was intoxicated at the time.

"It could help limit the problems if they made the laws stiffer," Kramm said.

Restaurant owners would be brought into the discussion if the council develops legislation, council member Ron Filippelli said.

There will also be room for public involvement, Welch said.

"Locally, I think that people would prefer not to have a tax on anything that will affect their business, and that is understandable," he said.

The percentage of the tax has not been decided yet.

"I don't know anything about percentages at all -- this is in early discussion stages," Filippelli said.

Other areas, such as West Chester, have also proposed a similar alcohol tax, Dauler said. The city, where West Chester University is located, has been lobbying the state for two years for the tax.

"I'm hoping that there will be other communities in Pennsylvania who will be with us in advocating for a tax," Dauler said.

Caruso said the effect on businesses would depend on the severity of the tax.

"Ten percent would be a real kicker," he said, "There is price sensitivity down here -- some kids would pay extra, while others wouldn't."