Football season is right around the corner, and state liquor regulators are contending with a request from beer distributors to limit their liability when student parties get out of hand. Distributors were outraged last October when state officials slapped Columbus Distributing Company, at 4949 Freeway Drive East, with a citation after a post-football game celebration on East 12th Avenue resulted in 47 arrests, mostly for underage drinking.The Columbus Division of Police broke up the melee and fined underage drinkers $100 each. Many of the partierss also had to participate in a three-day alcohol awareness program. Once the dust settled, Columbus Distributing was cited for selling a large number of beer kegs to an unlicensed person, a charge that was ultimately dropped.Ryan Inskeep, an OSU sophomore, briefly attended the 12th Avenue party, but left after witnessing what he described as a Òmass consumption of beer.ÓÒEveryone was hammered. It was just crazy,Ó he said. ÒIt looked like a lot of trouble, so we left.ÓCurrent state law allows beer distributors to make large keg sales to someone 21 years or older under a retail sales provision containing a definition for Ôhome use.Õ There are no limits on the quantity of beer that can be purchased, but both the purchaser and distributor can be liable for incidents associated with purchases considered Òlarger than reasonableÓ for home consumption.Distributors have argued that the buyer of alcohol for home consumption should shoulder most of any liability burden.Mike Krieg, an OSU junior, concurred. ÒResponsibility lays on the people who were drinking, not the distributor,Ó he said.Since the 12th Avenue incident, state liquor agents have considered rewriting the home-use provision for bulk retail sales to customers. The Ohio Department of Liquor Control is forming a committee to study current regulations on retail beer sales for home use, and distributors will have a chance to weigh in on the liability issue and other matters. J.B. Blevins, an OSU senior, blasted the break-up of the 12th Avenue party as overkill. ÒThe weekend of the party, I had a party at my house with six kegs and 200 people,Ó Blevins said, adding that there were Òno problems.Ó Terri Hessler, an OSU graduate non-degree student, disagreed.Working as a bartender both before and after the state-enacted liability provisions for distributors, Hessler said the new liability laws have improved distributorsÕ responsibility and resulted in actions that help save lives. ÒThese laws gave me a leg to stand on when I needed to cut someone off,Ó Hessler said.Options available to state liquor regulators seeking to restrict bulk keg sales include creating a permit category for special events. Distributors are lobbying for retail sales, without quantity limits, to any Òqualified personÓ defined as someone older than 21 who is not intoxicated. OSU sophomore Andy Hockman offered another solution. If a customer buys numerous kegs, they should sign a waiver limiting distributor liability, Hockman said.Distributors make most of their money from wholesale trade with licensed businesses, such as bars and carryouts. Distributors also make sizable sales for company parties, weddings and other large events.