It's a problem that's well known to South Coast residents.

Revelers - many of them from out of the area - head for the Oregon National Dunes Recreation Area on holiday weekends. Lots of them are on the dunes simply to ride off-highway vehicles and have some fun. But others cause problems. Large groups of people gather to drink and party and those activities, particularly on summer holiday weekends, lead to accidents, serious injuries and assaults.

To try to mitigate the drunkeness and its related problems, federal officials have banned alcohol in off-highway vehicle riding areas. The order, announced earlier this month, prohibits the possession of alcohol outside of developed sites and staging areas.

Dune drivers, especially local ones, will no doubt grumble about the ban. That's to be expected from recreationists who drink responsibly and still have fun. But in recent years, the dunes have attracted visitors less interested in sand camping and dune riding than in drinking parties, fights and nudity - and they're the ones who have created this problem for everyone else. Not only do other visitors feel unsafe, the drunken behavior ends up costing taxpayers who foot the bill for emergency responses by police, fire and medical personnel.

This ban should give the rabble the message that there's less opportunity here for drinking and they're likely to seek other venues for their drunken brawling. Then maybe responsible drivers and families who don't feel safe now will find the dunes provide worthwhile recreational opportunities once more.