Wrong answer.

The local college (WIU) and the general community has had a rapid increase in the number of bar fights this year. Some people are pointing to this as an example of how the younger generation has lost its moral and civil compass. Which I personally feel sounds extremely stupid especially when it comes from a generation that didn't want to let kids get an education because of the color of their skin. But I digress...
Other opinions feel that the problem is that there are too many drinking establishments in town and that they aren't properly regulated.
...and now the third side...
There are too FEW bars in this town. By keeping the number and type of bars in this town to just 2, or maybe 3 of each type you are leading to an overcrowding in the establishments which raises frustration levels when it can sometimes take aver half an hour to get a drink. Adding this on top of the average students workload, (there are very few "townies" out on weekends in this town.), general fears about decreasing wages, increased cost of living, general fears and concerns over the countries foreign policies... you have a group of people who are already stressed imbibing a pleasure inducing toxin which tends to amplify emotion and reduce cognitive thought, of course you are going to have an increase in bar brawls. Spreading people out and allowing them to have a frustration free night out with their friends at an establishment that kept the music low enough to carry on a conversation, had pool, darts, and maybe a cigarette machine might cut down on the scale and frequency of the fights faster than any increase in alcohol taxes, police presence or "notes home to MOM" ever will.