College! Parties! No parents! Beer! Sleeping in until 1 p.m.! In college, there is almost an expectation that students drink. There is a lot of debate about the problem of underage drinking, which seems to be growing exponentially with each generation. We, Laura Wallace and Mike Pekel, the authors of this post, would like to write about our different backgrounds and experiences in order to explore the reasons for underage drinking. (This post isn’t meant to preach or persuade, but rather to encourage open discussion)
Laura’s stance on drinking: I don’t care if others drink, but I choose sobriety.
Before I begin, let me make it clear that I don’t have a problem with other people drinking, as long as they do it responsibly. In my mind, whether a person drinks or not doesn’t define who she is and I do not judge people on their decision.
So why don’t I drink? I suppose I have just never found the appeal. (I am interested to hear what attracts those of you who do drink.) Firstly, my parents have let me try sips of their alcoholic beverages on several occasions, and I have always found the taste disgusting. In addition, in my relationships with others, I crave intimacy; I would much rather have several really close friends than a lot of companions. As a part of that, I find that intimacy comes with authenticity. Having a meaningful conversation with a drunk person is nearly impossible. In addition, I just don’t care for the party scene. I would rather grab coffee with a couple of friends than go out with a bunch of people. Also, I like to remember the fun times that I have. I would feel so offended if I had a wonderful time with someone and then the next day they couldn’t remember any of it. Finally, I like to have my brain unimpaired. I heard a story about a freshman girl this year who got really drunk her first night here and cheated on her boyfriend. She left the next day because she felt so bad. I wouldn’t want that to happen to me. For me, sobriety is not about being underage, but rather making decisions that will allow me to live the fullest life possible. I am not saying that I will never drink, but I might not. All I know is that right now I don’t find alcohol to be a necessary part of my life.
Mike’s stance on drinking: I hesitantly take part in the party scene.
There was a time when I was a pretty committed non-drinker. There were personal reasons, the kind you hear from most kids who consciously choose not to: “I don’t need to drink to have fun. I’d rather just be myself.” I also had the support of a group of friends that outwardly made fun of the heavy drinking crowd pretty often. But over the years in high school, each one of these friends of mine slowly gave in to drinking, until I could easily try it without any feeling that I was really, with finality, giving up my moral standing. And I did.
I didn’t quite have the ridiculously fun and crazy experience that was promised, though. Maybe it was the attitude I approached it with. Yeah, I got “drunk” on a few occasions, but at no point was I able to really let go and have the fun that everyone else seemed to be having. I was never able to let myself use being drunk as an excuse to go crazy and do and say things I wouldn’t have let myself do or say before. My conscience was always sternly sitting in the back of my mind watching every move I made.
Regardless, I have had some good times with my friends. I understand when teenagers talk about how they use drinking as a friendly, social thing, and how they don’t drink specifically for the purpose of getting drunk. But these sorts of explanations often give way to a huge number of rationalizations regarding why there’s nothing wrong with what they’re doing, even if much of their lives come to revolve around planning for the weekend. “I’m just having a good time.” “I’m not hurting anyone.” “I’m bonding with my friends.” “I’m loosening up and meeting people.”
To an extent, I understand these rationalizations, because I do still drink. I try to keep it reasonable. I’m not using it as a complete escape from reality in which I can do whatever the hell I want. I see a whole lot of people doing exactly that on the weekends, however. So now, I’m at a very uneasy peace with alcohol, just as I’ve always been. I can’t shake the feeling that a lot of people my age might just be unknowingly self-medicating for an inner discomfort.
What are your thoughts on underage drinking? Is it as widespread or serious a problem as it is made out to be, or is it largely misunderstood by adults?
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16 comments:
I truly believe that the main reason for drinking is of course, for the social aspects. Drinking in large groups is something that teenagers look forward to every weekend. Drunken stories from the previous weekend are usually the main topics of discussion on Monday. I believe the influence is extremely hard to get away from and I give more power to people that can escape the temptation.
I have most definitely experienced with alcohol but I'm not a frequent drinker. I, like Mike, started out saying I would never cave into the standard, but as time went on and my friends started experimenting, I eventually gave in. I can sense the general appeal of wanting to be included in a certain social scene and wanting to let loose. However, I am also extremely comfortable with not drinking and so are many of my friends.
I think there's a certain balance you have to maintain with alcohol. You still have to practice responsibility and prevent yourself from harming yourself or others. If you're going to drink, have someone sober hold your keys and refuse to give them back if you ask. Don't put yourself or anyone else in an unsafe environment.
I believe it's also your responsibility to know your limits with alcohol and to make sure that you are surrounded by people who will take care of you if, by chance, you exceed your limit. One of the greatest fears I had when I started to drink was fearing others and what they could do. If you're going to attempt to do something that acquires an adult attitude, please, do everyone a favor, and act adult-like.
I don't believe underage drinking is misunderstood by adults. The fact of the matter is, underage drinking is against the law, we just don't choose to follow it. Obviously, depleting underage drinking would release some strong fears in adults, but I don't see anything like that happening. If you choose to drink and you do it responsibly, I will not judge you. I just expect some maintenance of control. If you choose not to drink, I commend you on your principles. Just be safe!!! :-)
I agree with Whitney that underage drinking is just fine as long as it is done responsibly, like all drinking should be done. Although I have been to some parties, I have not started drinking. I do not see the appeal, because I have always been able to have good time without drinking. For me, not drinking is not so much a moral issue as it is that I just don't want to do it, because I don't see the point. As long as others drink responsibly and don't try to pressure me into drinking, I do not have a problem with it.
I think underage drinking in college is misunderstood, because such a large percentage of students drink, but there few incidents with all the underage drinking that is happening. Adults, especially the media, have a tendency to display the horrific tragedies that occur, when these incidents have affected such a small percentage of people who drink underage.
Let's be honest. Underage drinking is stupid. When you consider the effects on your body, the idea of going to the limit and losing control, and for what? For fun?
Thank goodness I don't drink. That would make me an idiot.
Let's be honest again. Running 50 miles a week is stupid. When you consider the effects on your body, the idea of going to the limit and losing control, and for what? For fun?
Thank goodness I don't run 50 miles a week...
Well.
Wait.
Oh gosh. Who am I to judge? I have good time wherever I go. It's pretty hard to keep a good Sam down, and I have no need of alcohol to aid my fun. I can honestly say that I don't drink, not even a little bit, not even at all.
Admittedly, I do have a side incentive. My parents made a deal with my brothers and I that if we didn't drink until 21, they would buy each of us our first drink. Well, that and the drink would come with a check for $1000. I couldn't lie to my parents about $1000.
I like my deal, I don't like being out of control, and I have a blast anyways. The question for me isn't really why I shouldn't drink, it's why I would ever want to.
Just because I don't drink doesn't mean it's stupid. It has its risks. It's potentially disastrous, but if the party scene has done nothing else, it has confirmed that drinking is potentially disastrous. No one heads out to a party without stories of past parties floating around in the back of their heads. If it was perfectly safe to drink,it wouldn't be rebellious, and no one would do it anyways. If you want to fit into the party scene connected to the typical college campus, drinking is bound to become your cup of tea. (Or shot of tea? Mug of tea? I don't know.) Just like every other decision, it's up to each individual to deal with the consequences. That's an idea that was true when the consequence was time out from recess and will continue you to be true when the consequence is determined by a breathalyzer.
To each his own, my friends.
Anyone who is drinking Nati Light is not doing it for the appreciation of a quality beer. Although what I say here is limited to what I have observed over the past years, I have never witnessed a large-scale get-together where Samuel Adams made an appearance rather than the usual Bud Light or Keystone. As Whitney stated, the primary motive for young people drinking is likely a social impulse. People want to get drunk to fit in with the partying norms, to do things they would otherwise be too afraid to do, and to regale others with tales of their sodden evenings.
I like to drink, but I do not particularly like to do my drinking at parties. My family has always enjoyed red wine, beer, whiskey and such, and I have never viewed alcohol as abnormal or prohibited. I grew up with wine at Thanksgiving, at family get-togethers, and at whatever other time we cracked a bottle open. When high school began and other people started discovering that alcohol existed, I did not have a conflict of whether or not I was going to drink. The question was, would I be willing to endure the foul experience of consuming a poor-tasting cup of Popov? And was this somehow better because I was doing it in a hot, crowded room, with a lot of people I did not know?
If I am going to drink I intend to relax with close friends or family, and not to jump off a balcony or to get in a fight. People's expectations towards drinking affect their behavior greatly, and thus you have kids doing idiotic things. Getting a bit toasty can certainly be fun in the right setting, but that is no reason to be hostile or irresponsible. The current drinking laws set alcohol as forbidden, and perhaps when kids break one rule they feel ready to toss out all other restraints.
I have been to Peru and the Dominican Republic, and in both places no real drinking age exists. Each country certainly has its own problems with alcohol. But though I have done no thorough study on the matter, in each nation alcohol was not viewed as a forbidden fruit, and the young people I was with did not go out and drink themselves silly. I, able to get a drink at a bar for the first time, made a fool out of myself. But I did so while enjoying drinks that tasted quite nicely, and while in the company of a few close friends. This I was able to do in the D.R. or Peru, but not in the States, where I would have to sneak past the law and society in order to do my drinking in hiding, thus increasing the dangers and lessening the fun for all involved.
I started drinking in eighth grade at a party. Someone brought about 24 pineapple vodka shot bottles to the party, and I was one of the lucky few who got one. They tasted awful, but marked the beginning of my experiments with alcohol, because after that party we all started drinking somewhat regularly. We drunk a lot of hard liquor that year, and I had yet drink a whole beer. Everyone seemed to like strawberry daiquiris the best (it was my personal favorite.) My first beer didn’t come until my freshman year of high school, and I remember it vividly. It was after a football practice, and three of us were alone in the locker room. None of us drove yet, so we had to wait for our parents. Then one of us got the bright idea to steal some beers from “bingo,” that was planned for later that night. We snuck into the cafeteria, grabbed three, and ran off. After this I started attending parties, and had a great time. Some of these parties got pretty wild with nude swim parties, sex on the front lawn, threesomes, orgies, pregnancy, cops, fights, vandalism, grand theft, car accidents, two-story bongs, 55 cup games of beer pong, marijuana, acid, mushrooms, meth, and even cocaine and heroin.
I stopped going to as many parties my senior year. I started hanging out with some different kids, and realized I didn’t need alcohol to have a good time. It also had something to do with me getting more serious about athletics that year. A lot of my football friends jokingly called me a “pussy” and stuff like that; trying to get me to drink, but I didn’t. I went to some of the tamer parties, but still didn’t drink alcohol my entire senior year. I was much too busy with all my other activities to drink, and my track career became too important to me to lose because of drinking.
Now I’m in college. I contacted the track coach too late to join the team so I now have nothing to do. I try to go to the weight room every day, but I still have free time. I have started to attend parties again. I’ve tried not to drink much, but last weekend I found myself stumbling to my room leaning on a kid I just met, named Matt, I think. I don’t remember that night very much, and it brings back some bad memories from high school. I went to club day, in order to find something to do with my time, because I don’t want that lifestyle again. I realized, my senior year, what was important to me and drinking was not on that list. I intend to be responsible and sober during my college years, because I can have fun without alcohol.
Et tu, Dragon?
There has always been underage drinking it has not suddenly become an epidemic like it is portrayed. I went to a very small high school. The people there knew each other and everyone looked out for each other. I partied a lot in high school. But most of the parties I went to were tame and when someone stared puking everyone helped them to the bathroom and helped clean up. I always had a lot of fun with all my classmates drinking because everyone relaxed and got along. But then our parties started mixing with other schools parties and became out of control. I did not like these parties because there were always cops, drug busts, and fights. My friends and I started only drinking around each other. We would either go to parties sober or not at all. I can completely understand why people do not drink. But I also think that alcohol can be fun as long as you watch your surroundings.
Can we back up for a moment and consider the drinking age itself? As most if not all of you are 18, does it make sense to you that you are legally independent, can vote, suffer the death penalty, and serve in the military, and yet you can't legally buy alcohol? Are whether, what, and where to drink decisions that require more maturity than voting? What do you think of this idea?: http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1098889035.html
I think its great that college presidents are beginning to bring this issue up for discussion. Although many college students and other people may not agree with the drinking age, it would be hard for us to get the media coverage that someone in a position of power can garner. Because of his former title as the president of Middlebury College, Dr. McCardell's concerns about the drinking age sparked the interest of news and media outlets.
Although I agree with Dr. McCardell's arguments for a lower drinking age, I am skeptical that the drinking age will be lowered anytime in the foreseeable future. I think that most politicians will be reluctant to take on this issue because of the controversy it could ignite. Most will not be willing to risk their careers for an age group that has one of the lowest voter turnout rates.
I would have to agree with most people here in saying that the main reason for drinking is for the social environment. It is almost a "right of passage" to drink before the age of 21 and it is often thought of as a tool to help relax oneself.
The main aspect that I do not share with the rest of the comments is the level of comfort most people have around underage drinking. To be honest, I have not and do not plan on drinking before I am 21. As someone who wants to go into the law field one day, I find it disturbing how many people actually take part in underage drinking. I see it more as black and white. Why should we even be discussing the comfort of being around something illegal. I sort of equate it to stealing. Would people be alright hearing stories about each others stealing sprees? I know this probably will stir up some debate as to the severity of the correlation between underage drinking and stealing, but I truly feel this way. Underage drinking is illegal, but I understand why people fall temptation to it.
You can not blame drinking for anything in the same sense that "guns don't kill people, people kill people." It's all about balance and being smart. My first time drinking was when I was a freshman in high school and I have kept it up, off and on, since then. I was very young, rather stupid and I had some rough nights in high school. Luckily for me, I was always around my close friends and they would always make sure I didn't walk off a balcony or chock to death on my own tongue while asleep. Because of my experiences in the past, I know my limits and I have been able to party a lot at Xavier and do it safely and intelligently. I wonder tho, what about the kid who never drank in high school and this weekend, his 'friend' on the soccer team makes him take 12 shots of Southern Comfort. About 10 minutes later, this kid is puking his brains out and his soccer 'friend' leaves him in the dorm alone so he can go out and party. This is how people die and this is why in reasonable countries (NOT AMERICA) people are encouraged to experiment with drinking at around 15 or 16 with their friends and family. Luckily, Xavier is a pretty nice place and the story above probably isn't going to happen here. However, I personally know a few kids who got robbed, beat up, or left alone in similar situations at schools like Miami where everyone is selfish snobs.
Now to talk about drinking in general. Drinking in moderation is actually healthy. Although most college kids binge drink on weekends (not healthy) the health risks really aren't that bad. I liked the parallel about running that Sam mentioned. As an over-runner is high school track and cross country, I received plantar fasciitis in both of my feet and IT band syndrome in one knee. These medical problems eventually prohibited me from running and I have to deal with the effects even tho I no longer run. The worst alcohol has done to me was a hangover. My point is almost everything we do is in some way unhealthy and alcohol certainly isn't the biggest problem. It does help people socially. Although I am always a social person, I find being a little drunk at parties helps me have great conversations. I no longer feel like I need to hold back at all and just let it flow. So, Laura, if you want to have a meaningful conversation with a drunk person, find me at a party and get me going on religion, politics, life, aliens... and I promise to remember it the next day.
A lot of good points have been made all around on both sides of this debate. First, my view: the drinking age is unnecessarily high (I'll explain later), but the culture of high school and college parties and binge drinking that exists is harmful to all involved. But I'd like to touch a little bit more on Dr. Sitter's post and get to the actual idea or subject of drinking and drinking laws. What we have in our country is a pretty much the pornography of alcohol. Let me explain...something like sex is something we don't like to talk about- people often get squeamish about this subject when it's discussed in factual, rational terms (using derogatory language is something completely different). Anyways, because of our lack of discussion about this subject, it becomes taboo. Thus, an outlet develops (in private) to deal with our lack of discussion: in this case, namely, pornography. The same happens with (underage)drinking. It becomes taboo, socially unacceptable (because lawmakers say so), and thus people develop an outlet for this subject: parties (particularly in high school or on college campuses, when teenagers are exploring their independence).
But this taboo drinking culture is what makes us so radically different from countries such as the D.R. or Italy or Peru. We couldn't just suddenly change our laws and lower (or even abolish) the drinking age. Could you imagine the fallout if tomorrow all of a sudden 13 year olds could have a Bud? We simply have a culture that's different from the D.R.'s or Peru's. But we also have a subculture of unsafe and dangerous drinking habits among teens.
In my eyes then there are two "solutions" to underage drinking. 1) We hire a bunch of extra police officers/spend a lot more on law enforcement, bust every party that occurs, monitor people's alcohol purchases (to see if they're going to minors), and attempt to make IDs even harder to copy. Or 2) We attempt to find some sort of way to move towards a culture where responsible drinking occurs at a lower age (but under parents' auspices) and where having a beer or a glass of wine is not unusual when you're a teenager. (I like the model of Italy in this area.) When it's not that special (and certainly not taboo), drinking becomes less of countercultural/rebellious/subcultural occurrence. Looking at this issue, I think the second option is clearly the best for the long term, but I'm unsure as to how to start in that direction. Must we work towards what I mentioned in the first option? Are we destined forever to stay in this state of limbo between condemning and condoning drinking? What's the long-term, countrywide, cultural solution?
I agree with Mr. Sitter. We can die for our country but we are not allowed to have a beer just because we are 18...seems silly to me.
I don't drink alcohol. it's just a personal choice. I don't disapprove of my friends who drink at parties or anyone i have ever met who drinks. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Maybe when i am 21 i will try to drink, but as of yet i'm ok with going to parties and not drinking. I act like a fool without intoxicating myself :) I guess the drinking age is just one of those taboo subject. Adults think that we are too immature to drink as 18 year olds, which in turn makes kids want to rebel more to show adults that we can handle it. Its a game of push and shove. Push rules on kids who want to do something, and we will shove it right back in your faces by drinking anyway. Now that may just be a stereotype, but it does happen.
Drinking will always be one of those Taboo subjects. Now we just have to see if those adults will cave in, or those kids will get bored...
I feel like since the drinking age is 21, alcohol is far more exciting to those of us who are underage. If alcohol wasn't considered the "forbidden fruit" i think more teenagers wouldn't be so enthralled with drinking. I partied in high school and a lot of my friends felt like the most exciting part of going to parties was the fact that it was illegal and even dangerous.
I think that as long as you don't go overboard and end up throwing up all night long or blackout, drinking can be fun and it's a good way to be social and meet new people. It's all about moderation in my opinion.
I agree with Krissy about alcohol use being about moderation. As long as you are with people you know won’t let you get hurt, don’t drink excessive amounts to a point that your stomach needs to be pumped, and no harm is done to other people’s belongings, then I really don’t see what’s wrong with college drinking. I have only drank a few times but I have friends who party and drink every weekend. They are still good people who are considerate, intelligent, and hardworking. They don’t drive after drinking or vandalize property while under the influence. I understand that a lot of the drinking going on is not safe, but there are some who are smart about it. I think that if the government trusts 18 year olds to vote, then they should trust them to drink.
I feel like one of the biggest reasons people drink as much as they do when they're underage is because of the 21 year old age requirment. It seems like in countries that allow for drinking at a younger age there is more of a sense of understading in moderation. People in other countries are used to drinking in moderation because they have grown up with it more available to them, where as when people in America finaly get to the age of begining to drink there is no past experience with alcohol. They just aren't as well prepared for understanding moderation and controling ones self while drinking. So I guess im trying to say that with a younger age where people grow up knowing more about alcohol then there would probably be more self control concerning alcohol.
You don't really need to drink at the age of 18. many people really want the change to lower the age to 18 for drinking but the people who pull for that are already drinking, so what does it matter that the drinking age is 3 years lower. it is unfair that you can do everything except drink at 18 but people are immature at 18 and really should not be drinking. many stupid things have happened because of underaged drinking. thousands of deaths happen every year because of it and it being legal will make it even worse. colleges are pulling for the drinking age to be lowered because they dont want the responsibilty because they know things are going to go bad. most of the incidents that happen at college campuses are drinking related and i think the age should be raised to 23 so that no college student can buy alcohol that other people could use. the age should be raised not lowered
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