LOW DRUG USE SUSPECTED AT MADISON STUDENT BARS

Some UW-Madison students may remember the infamous shutdown of Jocko's, a
bar busted just over a year ago for selling cocaine in its facilities.
There has been speculation by university and city officials that drugs may
be prevalent at other Madison bars. However, according to students who
frequent area bars, it is not evident.

"I have never seen any drug use at what is considered a Madison student
bar," UW junior Joe Michaelis said. "I figure most people are too busy
drinking and do the drugs before or after they go out."

That sentiment is shared with bar owners.

"There is not rampant drug use in any downtown bars," Dick Lysheck, owner
of Bullfeathers, 303 N. Henry St. said. "I do not know of any bars offhand
where it is known that you can get or do drugs."

Captain Jon Davenport of the Madison Police Department agreed that reported
drug use at the bars is low.

"We do not see that much drugs in the reports on the bars," Davenport said.

Some students admitted to smoking marijuana in the back rooms of various
bars on State Street but felt that hard drug use is possible, though unlikely.

"I have seen lines being done at the back rooms of a bar on State Street,"
said a UW sophomore.

A main concern with the police department is the possibility of students
being drugged at the bars.

"We have had reports that people have been drugged at the bars," Davenport
said.

Yet he said that none of these have been confirmed, since they are usually
reported a couple of days after in the incident. At that point in time, the
drug has usually left the system. Davenport encourages students to
immediately get attention if they feel they have been drugged.

"If people think they have been drugged, they should go to the emergency
room and get their blood drawn and be tested," Davenport said.

Davenport said this would increase the chances of catching the perpetrators.

Lyshek said it is difficult for drugs to be done in the bars unless it is
an accepted behavior at that particular bar.

"We have bouncers walking around looking for drug use and it is not allowed
nor tolerated," Lyshek said.

That does not mean students do not come to the bars free and clear of
illegal substances.

"A couple times people try to sneak weed into the hookah but that never
gets too far. There is an obvious difference between the smell of apple
tobacco and marijuana," Matt Kruegar, a bartender at The Casaba said.

Some students feel drug use is an unnecessary risk to attempt to carry out
at the bars.

"If I am going to do drugs I do them before I go out. Why risk it?" a UW
junior said. Lyshek said most students do not go to bars with the notion of
doing or finding drugs. "Alcohol is the drug of choice I believe for a
majority of the patrons at Bullfeathers," Lyshek said.