Tailgating ban set for acts that draw younger crowd BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer HOLMDEL - Consumption of alcohol while tailgating at the PNC Bank Arts Center will be limited to older crowds during this summer's concert series. According to Joe Orlando, spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which owns and operates the PNC Bank Arts Center, tailgating will be completely prohibited at shows that have historically drawn younger crowds. "They will be asked to park their cars and go to the concert," Orlando said. "We don't want kids to have the chance to pour alcohol into different containers while out in the parking lot either." Orlando said the Turnpike Authority had to take an additional step after last summer's Gwen Stefani concert. "Unfortunately, the behaviors were legendary in the course of the arts center at that concert," Orlando said. "It got so much attention with young kids going to the hospital with alcohol poisoning that something had to be done." The new tailgating ban goes one step further than a ban adopted last season at the PNC Bank Arts Center. Last summer's concert season culminated with the deaths of two concertgoers and 490 arrests for underage drinking. As a result, a ban on consumption of alcoholic beverages while tailgating was put into effect. The new ban will not allow tailgating at events that attract younger concertgoers. According to Orlando, the concert schedule hasn't been announced yet so there is no information yet on what concerts will be affected and when the policy will start. Orlando also said that arrests were not the main goal. "We need to make this behavior stop, not increase the arrests," he said.