New York City and San Francisco city seals

ew York City has no specific legislation
requiring clubs to provide free drinking water. Though health codes specify that establishments that hold a cabaret license (like most nightclubs) must have running water for hygiene purposes, there is nothing stated about drinking water.

"I don’t know of any laws like that that exist or have been proposed," says Peter Rider, an aide to City Councilor Christine Quinn who represents Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen—neighborhoods where many clubs are located.

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, the equivalent of New York’s City Council, passed an ordinance in June 2000 requiring clubs with a capacity of more than 500 people to provide free, cool drinking water.

"It’s a common sense measure," says Nathan Perkiss, a legislative aide to Supervisor Mark Leno in San Francisco. "It allows people to take care of themselves."

Ideally, a club should have a drinking fountain, Perkiss says. Free water can come from the taps of bathroom sinks, but the clubs should have paper cups available. "The clubs need to make it explicit that [patrons] can use it to drink," he adds.

The ordinance is an early result of a new joint commission between the health department and police department designed to deal with so-called club drugs. The commission, started last year, plans to distribute appropriate literature to educate club-goers about drugs and educate club owners about their responsibilities.