One hundred college presidents are calling on lawmakers to lower the drinking age in the United States from 21 to 18. Their reason? Too much binge drinking on campus.Soooo, having alcohol both available and legal for newly graduated high schoolers will change that?! I was in college the last time the drinking age was 18, and, believe me, allowing 18 year olds to purchase alcohol is by no means a panacea for solving problems caused by irresponsible behavior and lack of supervision. Why21.org gives statistics on the affect of lowering the drinking age:
In states where the drinking age was 18, those under 21 drank more than youth in states where the minimum drinking age was 21 and they continued to drink more as adults in their early 20s.When colleges decided to forgo their responsibilities to act in loco parentis, it opened up a pandora's box in terms of safety on college campuses. In this litigious society, college presidents are doubtless afraid of law suits. If the drinking age were lowered, colleges could deny any responsibility for deaths from alcohol poisoning and automobile fatalities of young college students involved because they were partaking in a substance purchased legally.
And, there is always the added bonus of not having to police the alcohol use on campus.
There! Problem solved!
I'm an RA in a small campus, and the amount of hospital visits, fights, sexual assaults, failure and expulsion is already too high.
ReplyDeleteWhile a plan like this might work in the long run, for a few years it will be mayhem.
Our school is drafting a letter to our President asking him to remove us from this list. OR if he wants to continue, he has to spend a weekend as an RA in the dorm "Never Sober" Ober.
-Shannon
Wow. My memory of dorm life was basically that I never got sleep in 4 years, due to the partying on the floor.
ReplyDeleteBeing an RA must be very difficult. I can't even imagine it...
I really don't see how making alcohol legal will solve this problem...I actually don't think that even in the long run that it will really help. It will only legitimize the partying for college students and increase it for high school students.
Agreed, Dymphna. And I am so done with the Prohibition canard tossed out by the pro-drunk lobby; it's a strawman argument.
ReplyDeleteNot every student drinks. What's being done for them?
Yeah, exactly!
ReplyDeleteCygnus, on my campus we have several events throughout the weekend, like movie nights, trips to places like Philly, sport events, etc. In fact, they're showing The Dark Knight in a few weeks!
ReplyDeleteWe're close to Lancaster and Harrisburg, where there is concert venues, shopping, restaurants, etc.
And there's nothing wrong with having a movie night with friends!
-Shannon