A bill to extend the time that alcohol can be served at bars in Colorado was shot down on the House floor yesterday, and for that, we are thankful.

It is common knowledge that we like to drink here in FoCo, and we do it well. But it is a blessing to everyone in this city that this bill didn’t pass; extending the drinking time would do nothing, but wreak havoc.

Crimes associated with alcohol are numerous, and it is reasonable to assume that incidents of these crimes would only increase the longer that bars can serve patrons. DUI’s, public intoxication, disturbing the peace, vandalism, assaults – you name it, behaviors you can get arrested for would linger on the streets.

That being said, Fort Collins and CSU has provided programs to help intoxicated individuals get home safe, such as RamRide and the infamous drunk bus. But, it would be inefficient to expect these programs to stay open that late; 2 a.m. is late enough to be responsible for carting belligerent and obnoxious people home.

While it may seem like an appealing idea to have the opportunity to stay out until your body can no longer keep up with your alcohol consumption, ultimately it wouldn’t benefit the city in the long run. When the bars close, you can feel free to take the party back to your place if you feel continuing to do shots is a great idea, but home is where you need to be. Not out affecting the general public.