The Safe Bar program, an initiative by the Sexual Assault Center (SAC), will be held for the first time in Tennessee during next week’s New Year’s Eve event in Nashville.
This year’s Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park event will “prioritize safety and raise awareness” by implementing the Safe Bar program, which trains local bars and restaurants in bystander intervention and raises awareness about alcohol’s role in sexual assault.
In a groundbreaking initiative to prioritize safety and raise awareness, the (SAC) is announcing that #NashvilleNYE at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park will be the city and state’s first Safe Bar event! Read all about it! 👇https://t.co/xi6FI2y6gv pic.twitter.com/vPS2jniQQs
— Nashville Tennessee (@visitmusiccity) December 21, 2023
About 50 percent of all sexual assaults involve the use of alcohol or other date rape drugs by the perpetrator, according to SAC.
Bartenders, security personnel and other staff at participating bars at the event will undergo “comprehensive training, empowering them to identify and intervene safely in the event of sexual harassment or assault,” as part of the initiative.
Bars, restaurants, hotels, and events that successfully complete the Safe Bar certification process will be provided drug detection coasters, a binder of information and resources for staff members to utilize when someone is in need of help, posters with SAC’s crisis hotline number, and other preventative resources.
In order to be certified as a Safe Bar, at least 50 percent of a bar’s staff must go through a 1.5-hour training.
“The Sexual Assault Center is immensely grateful for this partnership to help us spread awareness on this crucial topic,” Rachel Freeman, President of SAC said in a statement. “Together, we are fostering an environment where people can have a good time, stay safe, and contribute to a culture that prioritizes the well-being of all.”
This year’s five-hour event will feature nearly 50 performances from locations across Music City. It will be televised on the CBS Television Network and available to stream on Paramount+.
Performers at this year’s event include: Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elle King, Grace Bowers, Kane Brown, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Brothers Osborne with Trombone Shorty, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Jackson Dean, Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins, Morgan Wallen, and Bailey Zimmerman.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
How many handguns will be stolen from motor vehicles tonight because the owner went into a bar to drink and just left the firearm unsecured? Too many.
The safest bar is the one that no one enters.