Fraternity group votes to ban hard alcohol at houses in U.S., Canada

INDIANAPOLIS — Most U.S. and Canadian fraternities have one year to ban vodka, tequila and other hard alcohol under a rule adopted during the recent annual meeting of their trade association, the group announced Tuesday.

In “a near-unanimous vote” on Aug. 27, the 66 international and national men’s fraternities of the North-American Interfraternity Conference adopted the rule prohibiting hard alcohol with more than 15 per cent alcohol by volume from fraternity chapters and events unless served by licensed third-party vendors, the group said. The member fraternities have until Sept. 1, 2019, to implement the rule across their more than 6,100 chapters on 800 campuses.

The rule adoption follows the alcohol-related deaths last year of fraternity pledges at Louisiana State University and Penn State University.

Alcohol abuse and “its serious consequences endanger” fraternities’ core values of brotherhood, personal development and providing a community of support, said Judson Horras, president and CEO of the Carmel, Indiana-based conference.