A witch hunt

Underage drinking stirs national attention

In the wake of several alcohol-related deaths on college campuses nationwide - the most recent at Michigan State University this past Thursday - the problem of binge drinking among students has been very much in the national spotlight. In fact, a national teleconference on the subject will be hosted this Friday by Washington State University. A study conducted by Harvard University recommends regulating alcohol use on campus, limiting student access to alcohol and enforcing the minimum drinking age law. But while binge drinking is a serious issue, it is important that any kind of national effort to combat it does not become a witch hunt aimed at underage drinkers.

Although the end of abusive drinking habits is a laudable goal, it is important that the effort concentrate on education about alcohol abuse rather than attempting to monitor the activities of underage students. Acting as a sort of police force is not an effective way to stop binge drinking, and it undermines the feeling of personal responsibility that students deserve. The vast majority of college students are at least 18 years old and should have the right to drink in moderation without a university task force looking over their shoulders. The proper role of universities is that of educator, and that is how they should act with regard to binge drinking.

In addition, any national task force on binge drinking needs to examine the accepted definition of what binge drinking actually is. The current definition is five or more drinks in a row one or more times during a two-week period for men, and four or more drinks in a row one or more times during a two-week period for women. This definition is rather narrow and does not take into account differing reactions individuals have to alcohol nor the amount of time the beverages are consumed in. Instead of having a crackdown on college drinking based on this definition, universities need to reassess what constitutes binge drinking and make an effort to inform students about the serious risks involved.

It is also true that the battle against binge drinking is unfairly focused on underage students. Excessive drinking is as dangerous to a 21-year-old as it is to an 18-year-old. In addition, because 18-year-olds are considered adults in nearly every other aspect of life, they should legally be allowed to consume alcohol. And decriminalizing drinking by people between 18 and 21 would actually help to solve many of the problems caused by underage drinking. Eliminating its illegality and negative social stigma would end the thrill of doing something forbidden and take away the mystique of turning 21 - something which leads many to drink too heavily and dangerously in a short amount of time.

Although alcohol abuse is a serious problem at universities throughout the United States, it is also important that university officials do not overstep their boundaries in the effort to fight it. In addition, the guidelines for what constitutes binge drinking beg for revision with consideration of the different ways alcohol affects different people and the focus on underage drinkers needs to be scaled down. Rather than policing the activities of students in order to prevent excessive drinking, universities should take steps to educate students about its dangers.

11-11-98