Olivia Proe
Chief Copy Editor
The United States is one of only eleven countries with the highest international drinking age of 21. Despite our strict laws around alcohol, it’s no secret that underage drinking is prevalent on college campuses. I believe that our drinking age is unnecessarily high and promotes the toxic drinking culture our current legislation seeks to prevent. Instead, we would be better served by lowering the drinking age to 18 to promote healthier habits in a college environment.
In my personal experiences, much of the hazardous drinking that happens on college campuses occurs among underclassmen students. For many, the allure of alcohol comes from the fact that it’s prohibited and sometimes difficult to find. The fact that it is more challenging for younger students to find ways to drink promotes a scarcity mindset. Instead of enjoying a small amount with friends, students under 21 will frequently drink whatever they can find, oftentimes without awareness of who is serving. Having no knowledge of what is in a drink presents safety concerns on its own, but students who feel that they may not have other opportunities to drink will be encouraged to binge while they have the chance to do so. Our lack of education and choice when it comes to alcohol for college students never promotes a culture of moderate drinking.
Hand-in-hand with the binging that occurs on college campuses, drinking-related injuries and alcohol poisoning are frequent occurrences among underclassmen students. The Alcohol Rehab Guide reports that 600,000 college students annually unintentionally injure themselves during drinking, and in some tragic circumstances, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism finds that such yearly incidents lead to 1,519 deaths among college students. In these situations, students may hesitate to seek help for themselves or others due to legal consequences. Students should not have to prioritize fear of punishment over their safety or that of a friend.
Finally, longer-term consequences can emerge from the lack of moderation in our current drinking culture. According to the Alcohol Rehab Guide, roughly 20 percent of college students meet the criteria for having an alcohol use disorder. Dependent or binging behavior is often flagged too late in underage drinkers, eventually presenting long-term effects as well. The same organization found that 150,000 college students develop an alcohol-related health issue annually, including liver damage, high blood pressure, and inflammation of the pancreas. Unfortunately, fear of reproach holds many students back from seeking appropriate help. Long-term physical effects, as well as lasting behavioral ones, are preventable if students feel that they can reach out to a therapist or doctor about their drinking habits without concerns of legality.
The U.S. is long overdue for an honest re-evaluation of our drinking culture. Lowering the drinking age will allow students agency around their consumption habits as well as their safety. Having legal alcohol access takes a realistic approach to college drinking, creating a drinking culture that promotes honesty and moderation — and in the worst-case scenario, a safe outlet to ask for help. Unhealthy drinking among college students is something that can be addressed constructively, but not if we continue to pretend it’s not there.
