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Huntington Beach Bans Beer Pong - NBC Southern California 
Huntington Beach Bans Beer Pong

The city is changing its image.


Published at 12:16 PM PST on Jan 28, 2010 | Updated at 5:52 PM PST on Jan 28, 2010 

Having solved all of the city's other problems, Huntington Beach has passed a ban on alcohol-based games in new venues, it was reported Thursday.

The ban, passed last week, includes new downtown restaurants and those renewing their entertainment permits.

A ban for existing restaurants was passed last year, the Associated Press reported.

The crown jewel of alcohol-based games in Huntington Beach is of course, beer pong, a game where players attempt to throw ping-pong balls into cups. Make a shot, the opponent has to drink.

Police Chief Ken Small took matters into his own hands on this issue, the Orange County Register reported:

Chief Small started the ruckus last fall when he got wind that various downtown bars were allowing drinking games, like beer pong. He sent a letter to downtown businesses holding entertainment permits (bars, restaurants, nightclubs), threatening that to be eligible to renew entertainment permits they must ban drinking games from their establishments.

But, as the Register points out in our favorite editorial so far this year, it's not the police chief's job to make up new policy -- that's still the city council's job.

Drink This: The Best Cocktails in LA Even so, council members insist the ban is critical to "maintaining public safety." That rationale is a bit tough to believe. Does the council really think binge drinking will stop in a beach town because college kids can't throw ping-pong balls into red cups in public?

We'll have to wait and see. For now, it looks like Huntington Beachgoers will have to take their fun and games elsewhere.
