Liz O’Brien: The Legalization of Alcohol on College Campuses

Underage drinking has become extremely prevalent among college students in the U.S. Alcohol is a significant part of the lifestyle and culture that has been built around campuses across the country. Therefore the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen on college campuses. College presents social situations where alcohol is easily accessible for students, while the pressure of their peers’ acceptance drives them to drink regardless of the consequences.          

The intense desire for one to be accepted by other students is the biggest motivator for underage drinking. Many kids abuse alcohol to suppress feelings, distract them, but studies show that the most common reason for drinking is the need to fit in. Transitioning to college is one of the hardest things that a person endures. One goes from the comfort of their home surrounded by friends and family to a whole new unfamiliar environment while barely knowing anyone. Generally the saying is that food brings people together, but in college it is alcohol. Therefore, since alcohol is an inevitable binding component of many relationships in college the drinking age can be lowered to eighteen to reduce the potential ramifications of this act.

The Greek system is a prime example of the influence that alcohol has on students as it acts as a magnet in attracting people to individual affiliated organizations. Studies have shown that students affiliated with fraternities or sororities have a higher rate of drinking, binge drinking, and frequent binge drinking. The cause for these increased statistics can be mainly attributed to the societal norm that has been established around drinking in order to fit in. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism the first six weeks of college is a time for exploration because at the beginning of the year students go into school with certain expectations about college and drinking. It is predominantly believed that acceptance comes through drinking even if it is illegal the benefit of “being cool” outweighs the costs. Students don’t fully think about the potential repercussions of their actions, but merely the present situation. In that case the drinking age can be lowered to decrease the rate of binge drinking because it will diminish the illusion of the “cool” that this behavior is surrounded by. Through the use of scare tactics that show the dangers and consequences of drinking it shows that there is more to drinking than to merely fit in with others. That being said, the drinking age can be lowered with the intention to reduce the fantasized desire of drinking.

As a student of Elon University, which has a large population of affiliated students I have observed classmates choose to drink alcohol in order to be better accepted. During the pledge process for sororities and fraternities some of the organizations have a dry pledge period so students must refrain from consuming alcohol. In doing this it carries out traditions of the group, but also there are some indirect motives. The six weeks lowers one’s tolerance to alcohol so for the party after initiation the pledges get belligerently drunk. The new members’ Bigs are to stay sober in order to take the best care of their Little as possible. That aspect of the initiation process seems slightly concerning in the fact that it makes the assumption that the pledge needs a completely sober babysitter. Essentially this is because it is predicted the Little will drink so much with a decreased tolerance and end up blacking out, furiously puking, or potentially harming themselves or others. This practice of binge drinking has become a norm and tradition within the Greek system, which shows how significantly the culture of college has evolved due to the influence of alcohol and fear of social rejection. In order to alleviate some of this behavior the drinking age can be lowered as a mechanism to reduce the strength of these two aspects.

The idea of drinking in exchange for the acceptance of one’s peers can be reasoned by looking at the article, “School Bullying as a Collective Action: Stigma Processes and Identity Struggling,” by Robert Thornberg. In this study Thornberg observes behavioral patterns to come to the conclusion that when people label others it creates this self-fulfilling prophecy that forces specific social expectations on to the student. Thornberg references Goffman’s (1963) idea of when one is stigmatised it hinders their life chances to be a part of the environment they are in. These opportunities that are reduced include socialization with fellow classmates, forming relationships, and merely having friends. The thought of this situation happening to someone in college especially during freshman year is horrifying. Thornberg discovered that victims of this unfortunate social predicament of being ostracized face two main concerns. The first one being the struggle to be recognized, accepted, and included, which is every first-year student’s nightmare because most people don’t want to be isolated. The second was a struggle of identity being labeled as “normal” so you are welcomed by others versus being a “deviant” in which one is socially rejected and an outcast.   

It is clear that in looking at the statistics and popular trends amongst college students there seems to be a high risk high reward mindset in regards to alcohol consumption. Therefore since students disregard the legality of their actions lowering the minimum drinking age and by teaching students how to drink responsibly it could alleviate additional consequences of underage drinking. Granted, lowering the drinking  age for the U.S. population is a steep request that would receive much backlash. The drinking age does not need to stay stagnant at twenty-one for eternity. Alcohol should not be legal for all ages, but for college students an exception might better our society. A solution to this controversy is to lower the minimum legal drinking age to eighteen, but specifically on college campuses. The reasoning behind this potential change in legislation is that students in their years of higher education will continue to consume alcohol regardless of the legal age. This behavior is due to the strength of influence that alcohol has on minors and its large role that has been enveloped into the college lifestyle. Thus, if the age is lowered the consequences that result from underage drinking could be decreased. These consequences include arrests, hindering one’s career, and trouble within the education system. In lowering the age level for drinking on college campuses these negative effects may decrease. In addition to the reduced age limit for alcohol consumption colleges should implement responsible drinking classes and seminars. There are many programs that can be implemented to better prepare students to drink conscientiously in order to make better decisions if they do choose to consume alcohol. There are drunk driving simulations and “steered straight” programs to name a few that could be utilized on campuses to make an inevitable habit a little bit safer. By offering more information about responsible drinking, students will at least have the knowledge about their options in order to improve their judgment in decision- making if they or the people around them decide to drink. Thus, with the help of these educational programs the drinking age can be reduced as the responsibility of drinking will be further implemented into their conscience.

Though there are other factors to consider one of the largest arguments to lowering the drinking age is because of drunk driving even though that choice is inevitable no matter what the circumstances. Statistics such as 5,051 fatal car crashes of 2010 involving kids ages 16-20 could be reduced with alterations and regulations put into place regarding different ways of transportation. The solution to this drunk driving predicament is to utilize alternative forms of transportation such as Uber, Lyft, and student run driving programs. In addition to this walking is another safe option due to the fact that walks around campus are relatively short. Overall, there are some alternative ways to avoid drunk driving within these college campuses where drinking is so prevalent so this gives more reason to why drinking age can be lowered.

All in all, I do not see the nature of students behavior regarding the consumption of alcohol to drastically change  any time soon. If any change was to occur I believe there would be an increase in underage drinking as it has almost become more of a sport. That being said, by reducing the drinking age it will also decrease some of the additional indirect consequences that could arise from school and the authorities. Alterations in the minimum age for drinking should not be cast aside as irrelevant, but there are ways to resolve this controversy. One of those ways in which is to reduce the drinking age on solely college campuses.