Junior Dean Emma Stokes has sent an email warning students not to distribute promotional material within college as it constitutes “littering”.
Ms. Stokes noted that many flyers advertise “cheap alcohol”. This warning has particular resonance following much negative portrayal of Trinity students in the media. An Independent Complaints Panel decision in April upheld that Student Union promotions on campus encouraged excessive drinking. The Panel ruled that the Student Union promotions were in breach of the Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol Society (MEAS) Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks.
Anonymous members of the public had made complaints about promotion for the “ENTS Christmas Party” and “Twisted Tuesdays”. The ‘Ents Christmas Party’ was held at the Purty Kitchen in Temple Bar and was promoted by posters advertising ‘mulled wine, Santa’s helpers with vodka supersoakers! €2 drinks!’. The Panel concluded that this was a drinking game, likely to encourage excessive drinking. In the case of the SU event ‘Twisted Tuesday’ held at Citibar, the Panel considered the use of the term ‘twisted’ and the student market at which it was aimed. It ruled that the phrasing encouraged excessive drinking. Citibar said that the event was run by the SU and when a complaint was made, every action was taken to pull all promotional ‘Twisted Tuesday’ material. Alcohol watchdog MEAS has asserted that Licencees Citibar and the Purty Kitchen are responsible for their promotions, even when those promotions are run by a third party.
Former Ents officer Ed O’Riordain, who was in charge of promotion of both events, said that he found the promotion of events on campus was already severely restricted. He stressed that over regulation and bureaucracy of the necessary promotion was an inhibition to the creation of a vibrant student social life, of which SU events remain an essential part.
