Revere group focuses on bar hours extension

REVERE – The Revere CARES Coalition decided to maintain their support of their 2008 decision to support bars and pouring establishments closing at 1 a.m.With a May 17 license commission meeting on the horizon looking at extending bar hours, the coalition held a meeting Wednesday to see if it should take a public stance on the matter.?We want to have a meeting that is as open as possible,” Assistant Director Katie Sugarman said. “We are always open to the community and its changes.”Revere CARES was founded in 1997 following a community health assessment spearheaded by MGH?s Center for Community Health Improvement, which collaborates with underserved communities to improve health.When considering the matter, the coalition heavily thought about public health concerns the public might face if bars can stay open later but also the tough economic times liquor establishments are facing.?It is proven that economic concerns do affect the public health,” Sugarman said.School committee member Carol Tye said she was in favor of the 1 a.m. closing time but understood both sides of the dilemma.?There are a lot of young mothers out there who are waitresses and say that they get bigger tips in that one extra hour,” Tye said. “I understand that and sympathize with them.”There was talk about supporting a staggered closing time which means a bar would have to stop selling alcohol at 12:30 a.m. but patrons wouldn?t have to leave the bar until 2 a.m.?There are lot of studies showing that people are downing their last drink more quickly because they know they have to leave at 1, which is unintentionally encouraging binge drinking,” Sugarman said. “If they can stay until 2, they are more likely to drink their drink more moderately.”Supporters of extending the bar hours until 2 a.m. believe the rollback has hurt businesses especially since they have to compete with East Boston.?Some people think that (patrons) are just going to East Boston instead of staying in Revere,” Sugarman said.Director Kitty Bowman shared how people?s economic status does affect their health.Sara Brown can be reached at [email protected].