Quantcast

Legal Age 21 Forces Drinking Behind Closed Doors

silverwhisper's picture
Jun 16, 2008 — silverwhisper

The 21 year-old drinking age has successfully banished alcohol consumption from public view and public places. But there is no disputing the reality that alcohol consumption continues, often with life-threatening consequences, in clandestine, remote settings away from supervision by parents, residence life staff, and other adult authority figures and usually beyond the effective reach of law enforcement. Proclaiming a campus, or a household, "dry" may seem a virtuous act. But too often such pronouncements simply uproot and transplant the practice and, as a result, worsen the problem and heighten the risk. Research has found both a growing number of college students choosing to attend parties off-campus and a corresponding increase in the number of students consuming five or more drinks while there. Drinking that is not out in the open, and drinking that requires one to find a dark corner or travel to a remote location, is drinking that puts not only the drinker, but also the innocent citizen, at greater risk.

Comments

Bri2010's picture

Off-Campus Drinking

Bri2010 - Sep 4 2008 - 8:34pm

With the legal drinking age currently being 21 years old University policies are forced to be in line with enforcing that age. As a result of this age limit, students are forced to drink off-campus or in secrecy to avoid punishment. Forcing students off-campus often means higher incidences of drunk driving and students being placed in bad situations while being intoxicated. At least if the age was lowered Universities would be able to address the drinking issues publicly on campus and offer help to students who need it. Drinking in a public setting promotes moderation more than a private setting does.

UltraConservative's picture

False Assumption?

UltraConservative - Aug 22 2008 - 6:41am

I am wandering if this is a false assumption? It really seams to me that this whole argument is centered around Binge drinking. I have read a great deal of the "Evidence" on both sides of the debate. I have made a Educated conclusion based on that reading. I am against changing the Law. It is my personal oppinion that people, young or old, are going to binge drink no matter what the law says. (From my own College years Experience) I would have to say that during my first 4 of my 12+ years in college, I never once had the experience of seeing binge drinking, not to say that it did not happen. But, What I am wandering is if they are trying to cure a symptom of a bigger problem or just make the bigger problem bigger. You do not cure disease by fixing the symptoms. You cure the disease by attacking the disease.

Texburgh's picture

Controlled vs. binge

Texburgh - Aug 25 2008 - 9:02am

My college experience was going from a state with a 21 year old drinking age to college in a state with an 18 year old beer drinking age. Like you, I saw little evidence of binge drinking. I am certain that it happened occasionally but never actually witnessed it myself. Instead, the majority of us simply went to a bar close to campus where we gathered with friends to complain about professors, debate about sports, or listen to music.

Our drinking was done within the view of law enforcement in controlled areas. No one had to drive to bars (or out to farms as the students do from the college town I live in now).

I believe it was a better way.