To drink or not to drink
Recently, The New York Times reported that 123 college presidents signed a petition to lower the drinking age to 18. Despite much public ridicule, presidents from Duke, Ohio State, and Dartmouth remain steadfast in their belief that the current drinking age of 21 only encourages binge drinking among students and causes the youth to lose respect for the government.
The table talk at GCSU warmed up with the mention of this protest, and students discussed the legal drinking age and unearthed very strong opinions.
“The act of drinking seems nonviolent,” Christopher Neldon said. “I do not think that people who drink responsibly should be considered criminals.”
Most participants in the discussion agreed that responsibility plays a key role in the safe consumption of alcohol at any age.
“A lot of it comes down to personal responsibility,” hall director Amy Meisher said. “Unfortunately, there’s no way to define who is responsible enough to drink.”
Responsibility with alcohol, according to the discussion group, extends far outside of a bar or liquor store. Whether people drive or walk, disorderly conduct under the influence happens, no matter the age of the consumer.
“Not everyone is irresponsible with alcohol,” Daniel Troutman said. “But a lot of people are.”
Many students in the discussion felt that the maturity to consume alcohol comes with age.
Lamphere supports the current drinking age.
“You do mature with age,” Lamphere said. “You think about what you are doing and become more responsible.”
At the same time, other discussion participants argued that maturity and wisdom come at different rates for different individuals.
“Age and wisdom do not always travel together,” Troutman later said. “Sometimes, age travels alone.”
The people who are not mature enough to drink are probably drinking anyway, a chorus of students said in response. Maturity also raises the question of legal adulthood. Students and staff cited that at age 18 people drive, purchase tobacco, are considered adults in court, serve in the military, and vote in elections. We are mature enough to hold a gun, but not a drink, students said.
During the conversation, Troutman asked adults in the room to recount their experiences before the government raised the legal drinking age to 21 in 1988.
“When I was growing up, the legal age was still eighteen,” head of security Joe Grant said. “We did not have the binge drinking, we just drank to be social.”
Grant and other police officers in the room brought an interesting dynamic to the table talk discussion. While representing the police, officers in the room remained approachable and understanding of the notorious relationship between college students and alcohol.
“If [students] have not given us probable cause to suspect them of drinking, they can get away with it,” Grant said. “But if they bring attention to themselves, we’re going to do our job.”
By the end of the discussion, whether their opinions on the drinking age changed or not, an air of tolerance settled over the group.
“It was a good discussion that brought up many aspects of drinking,” Doctor Joe Devitis said. “But I’m still on the fence.”
Students, whether they believe in changing the legal drinking age or not, agree that they need to drink responsibly.
“If [students] choose to drink,” Lamphere said. “Do it wisely and know how alcohol effects you.” In that spirit, Lamphere encourages students to attend other alcohol awareness activities and to educate themselves about alcohol, no matter their age.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 24 2008. Filed under News.
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