Pocono News Section

"Fan Cans" Rile Local Officials

"Fan Cans" Rile Local Officials - Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 6:50PM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Tuesday, Sep 1, 2009 @ 06:50pm EST
Bloomsburg, Columbia County-

A beer promotion by Anheuser Busch has local police and university officials upset. The beer company is using local college's colors to promote sales.

Some want it stopped, while others don't seem to mind.

At Campus Beer on Iron Street in Bloomsburg, “Fan Cans” greet you as soon as you walk through the door. The Bud Light cans, produced by Anheuser Busch, bear the colors of the college closest to the distributor selling them.

Bloomsburg Police Chief Leo Sokoloski said, "I mean we know it's the Huskies’ colors and we know it certainly is directly related to Bloomsburg University."

The marketing ploy has been derided as irresponsible by many local police chiefs and university officials.

Sokoloski noted, "We don't need any other reasons for students to consume more beverages or drink a specific beverage."

But while those community leaders are adamantly against the “Fan Cans,” students we spoke with had more varying opinions.

B. U. junior Jessica Nunemaker said, "I think it's a good idea just because with school colors people are going to want to buy it more."

Julia Peters, also a junior at B. U., had a different take. "I think it promotes underage drinking for freshmen, sophomores, and whatever age you are living on campus, because it kind of seems like the cool thing to do," Peters explained.

Many students say that while the colors look cool, they alone aren't enough to persuade or dissuade a student from drinking alcohol.

Nunemaker added, "I don't know. You have people who always drink underage so they're going to do it whether it has school colors on it or not."

Anheuser Busch officials say they will pull the “Fan Cans” if they receive complaints from a specific community. But the cans are still on sale here in town.

The police chief says he's already emailed a complaint to Anheuser Busch. We'll keep you updated if or when they decide to pull the “Fan Cans” from stores in Bloomsburg.