Drinkers steer clear of taverns

BARS FEELING PINCH OF TOUGHER DUI LAW

EVERETT -- The sign above the Time Out Tavern on Hewitt Avenue reads:
Drinkers wanted.

It was largely a joke, said Todd Weir, 29, owner of the young and sporty
night spot.

But some local tavern owners are serious.

They're feeling the effects of the new state law that lowered the legal
blood-alcohol level from 0.10 to 0.08 on Jan. 1.

Some drinking establishment owners say customers are buying fewer drinks
and aren't staying as long.

"It's noticeable, said John Troia, owner of the White Elephant Tavern on
Broadway. "Some customers are not real happy with it (the lowered limit),
but it's a lot easier to cut them off than it has been."

"People are definitely more aware, not just of the 0.08 (law), but they're
less likely to stay out as long," Weir said.

Sales of takeout beer, among the 60 different bottled brands sold at the
Time Out, have increased about 25 percent since the new law took effect,
Weir said.

Meanwhile, bar owners are trying a variety of strategies to boost their
revenues.

"Everybody's going a different way. Some pick up gambling, others have
lottery, some promote kitchen food," Weir said.

Some tavern owners are seeing more customers call for cabs.

"Customers are far more cautious," said Ron "Hub" Morgan, owner of the
Crow's Nest Tavern on Broadway.

The Legislature approved the lowered blood alcohol limit last year.
Seventeen states already had approved a 0.08 limit, and President Clinton
came out in favor of a nationwide 0.08 level.

In practice, a 0.08 limit means a 140-pound woman could toss back three
one-ounce drinks of 80-proof liquor in an hour on an empty stomach, while a
170-pound man could consume up to four drinks an hour, according to the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The law also included stiffer penalties.

Driver's licenses are automatically revoked for 90 days if a person
registers at the limit. Police can impound cars.

Repeat offenders or anyone registering 0.15 or higher on a first offense
have ignition interlock devices installed on their cars and must blow
alcohol-free into the device when they want to start their car.

That's got to have some affect, said Jan Jorgensen, Snohomish County
Sheriff's spokeswoman.

"There's been a lot of publicity, and the penalties are a lot tougher than
they ever were before," Jorgensen said.

It might be too early to tell if more arrests are being made than usual.

The Everett Police Department's monthly DUI arrests range from a low of 91
citations to a high of 146, said Elliott Woodall, Everett Police spokesman.

In January, 93 DUIs were issued, which is neither a high nor low number,
Woodall said.

"We'll have to look at it for six months before we're going to see if we
have any trend," Woodall said.

Some drinking establishments haven't notice a dent in business.

"Being new, we've only seen a steady increase (of customers)," said Terry
Trautman, owner of PC's Pub on Rucker Avenue, which opened in April.

Down the road at the White Buffalo Saloon on Evergreen Way, customers are
still filing in at the same pace for their microbrews, said Ian Hunt, owner.

But Hunt has noted a slight drop in sales at his Kirkland club, which
caters to a younger crowd.

"It's a younger crowd and maybe it's hit harder than here," he said.

You can call Herald Writer Martha Modeen at 425-339-3427 or send e-mail to
modeen@heraldnet.com .