Rebellion was everywhere during my high-school years, including
breaking the ridiculous city curfew and off-roading in strip-mall
parking lots.
But in college, I resolved to obey rules.
This plan unintentionally backfired the first night I moved
in.
An informal freshman gathering in someone’s room quickly
spun out of control because there were too many people ““ and
alcohol, courtesy of second-years with connections. After the
resident assistants busted us, the second-years coolly slipped out
of the room, slyly remarking, “By the way, welcome to
UCLA.”
“Welcome to UCLA.” Welcome to college life and
alcohol’s omnipresence. You’d think it’s another
television stereotype, but lo and behold, this stereotype holds
true.
Alcohol and a fascination with its effects are ingrained in
college culture because of its potential as a social lubricant and
its indication of newfound independence and experimentation.
Alcohol, however, has led to many serious but preventable
emergencies.
To realistically modify college lifestyles, here is a proposal:
Lower the legal drinking age to 18 years.
And no, I am not a beer guzzler seeking to legalize the
inebriation of myself and other underage people.
The problem with the number 21 is that it sits right in the
middle of the 18-22 age range of college students.
People of all ages are inevitably present at social gatherings.
It is impossible to keep track of who is legally allowed to drink,
and many underage people end up drinking anyway.
The underage drinker’s usual limited access can perpetuate
drinking because of the so-close-and-yet-so-far position of younger
students.
Vicki McBride, a first-year undeclared student, said she noticed
that some drink more alcohol in mixed-age groups because “you
don’t know how or when you’re going to get alcohol
(again).”
Setting the legal drinking age higher can contribute to the
allure of alcohol, leading more people to drink at younger
ages.
The forbidden nature of an act can be appealing, especially
around the age of 18, as many enter college or move out of the
house and away from parents, high school and other regulations.
Some people argue that lowering the alcohol age will promote
even more drinking at an early age.
But according to data provided by UCLA Emergency Medical
Services, the current age limit does not deter drinking at young
ages.
Kurt Kainsinger, manager of UCLA EMS, said that 73
alcohol-related incidences (including poisoning or medical
conditions pertaining to alcohol intake) used ambulance services in
the 2005 calendar year.
The average student’s age was 18.9, and 52 out of the 73
were underage. These cases typically took place in the dorms, as
EMS mostly serves on-campus locations.
These numbers primarily represent the dorms, which explains the
low average age of those receiving services.
The average ages of potentially older victims in off-campus
locations is unknown. Kainsinger said that, instead of EMS, the
fire marshals respond to alcohol-related emergencies in these
locations and do not keep official statistics of such calls.
The point is that the current law is not an enough of a
deterrent for people thinking of participating in underage
drinking.
Drinking would lose its exclusive away-from-home status and
appeal with the lowering of the alcohol age. Eighteen is generally
the age of transitioning to further independence, such as going
away to college or moving out of the parents’ home.
Being legally exposed to the idea of drinking prior to leaving
home could potentially allow for less-extreme alcohol
experimentation, since high school students live under more
regulation (parents, mandatory school attendance) than people
living outside of their parents’ homes.
And while underage drinking does occur in high school, these
aforementioned regulations may deter high school students from
frequent, extreme alcohol intake.
If college life were similar to high school in terms of a
greater parental presence, I’m sure the alcohol use would be
less visible. Lower ages would probably not further encourage
drinking among high school students.
And by the time these students shed these regulations by moving
out or going to college, the thrill of alcohol would have faded. It
would no longer be a big deal as the ultimate rite of passage to
independence.
While alcohol emergencies will inevitably exist anywhere, such
trends can lessen with early desensitization to the thrill of
illegal drinking.
This would alleviate the exorbitant alcohol binges and their
effects on underage people.
Perhaps (and hopefully) one day it will be a universal concept
that drinking till you puke is “so high school.”
Instead of drunk-dialing, send drunk e-mails to Yoo at
jyoo@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.