Following Carbondale’s lead to curtail underage drinking, the bar entry age in unicorporated Williamson County will soon be raised to 21, county officials say.

Frank Wilkie, county commissioner and board member, said the affects of raising the age have not been determined.

It will impact it (underage drinking), Wilkie said. To what degree no one knows.

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Wilkie said there are many reasons for the entry age increase, including Carbondale’s recent decision to raise the bar entry age to 21 by July 1996. A sheriff’s report on underage drinking and the accidents where underage drinking are involved are also factors, he said.

The date the entryage ordinance will go into effect has not yet been determined, Wilkie said. He said the county must first consult the State’s Attorney to draft a resolution which could take a minimum of 30 days.

According to Williamson County Sheriff Dennis Presley, the Sheriff’s report indicates that people under 21 are getting alcohol at the establishments with an 18 entry age.

Presley said his department has made many arrests of underage drinkers, although he said it is difficult to catch the underage drinkers when they are at bars.

I feel it is the easiest way to regulate (underage drinking) if we have an entry age of 21, Presley said.

Presley said drinking and alcohol-related accidents are not the only problem underage drinking causes. He said fights and disturbances that occur after the drinkers leave the bar are also problems.

Wilkie said the county received many phone calls and petitions from citizens who thought raising the age was for the best.

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Around 56 percent of those who responded by calling or petitioning were in favor of raising the bar entry age, Wilkie said.

Wilkie said that bars in Herrin and Marion already have a bar entry age of 21, and the bars that will be affected by the new entry age are scattered throughout the county.

Some of the Williamson County establishments to be affected by the raise include Coo Coo’s, Fat Freddy’s, Dixie’s Tavern and Helen’s.

Cathy Kitchen, SIUC student and waitress at Coo Coo’s (located on new Route 13) said she thought raising the entry age would have ill-effects on the bar.

We’ll probably lose a lot of business, Kitchen said. I’m not sure how I feel (about the age being raised). I think it will be hard to find things to do.

Presley said he thought raising the bar entry age in Williamson County was for the best.

I simply believe that if the drinking age is 21, the entry age should be 21.

Underage drinkers get a mixed message when they are allowed to get into the bars, Presley said. Because underage drinkers are allowed in the bar, they think underage drinking is alright since some of the bars serve underage drinkers, he said.