Drinking at college

Parents Forum
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<p>I'm going to go out on a naive limb and say that today's college students are better informed about health and nutrition issues than we were in the '70s. Consequently, they're able to make better choices about their diet, drinking and smoking. </p>

<p>Do you parents out there, therefore, think college kids today are drinking more often or less than when we were in college?</p>

<p>I'll say this. We felt we were bullet-proof in the '70s, and I'll confess to climbing behind the wheel of my car more than once when I was too inebriated to drive safely. By the grace of God, we survived. I wouldn't dare try such a thing nowadays, because I know better. </p>

<p>Are kids today any smarter about this?</p>

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<p>I think they are smarter about drunk driving but not about drinking overall.</p>

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<p>Yes, they drink Light beer. They get the freshman 7 and a half now.</p>

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<p>^^lol...... Better informed yes but still very naive. College kids still believe something bad will happen to everyone else but them. They also believe that they can keep each other safe when drinking large quantities of alcohol with various "rules" they set up. We know as adults it's a loaded gun but they don't. Until someone dies they think their system works. I think they drink as much as we did or more. They certainly seem to drink much more hard liquor now. The marketing of flavored vodka, martinis etc. is a great disservice to this age group.</p>

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<p>My boys don't drink but say it is readily available at parties. Some colleges have bars on campus for those kids over 21 just to keep the kids from straying and taking driving risks.
Nowadays there are DUI's and Designated Drivers and that is all very good but today there is more violence, more drugs and more irresponsible people on the roads.</p>

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<p>I don't know if we drink more than you parents did. But I agree with sax--flavored drinks are more common now and more popular. I don't drink beer (can't stand it) but will drink other alcohol. But most of the time people either walk home or stay at the dorm/house/apartment that they've been drinking in. The group of friends that I go out with frequently ALWAYS has a designated driver, and if nobody wants to be the driver, we walk. Fortunately our city's bus system is free to students and runs a Midnight Express Thursday through Saturday nights to prevent drunk driving. </p>

<p>A year or two ago a drunk student was driving and killed a drunk student walking home. Unfortunately, it took an event such as that to "wake up" the campus to the real dangers and that it CAN happen to anyone. </p>

<p>Our annual campuswide weeklong celebration in April (VEISHEA) was dry--not only on campus, but all around town--for several years. I can't remember if it was that way last year because I was still in high school but I've heard this year may still be dry. Two years ago the celebration was not dry and riots ensued, perhaps that's why it's been a dry week in the past.</p>

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<p>It's just my subjective impression, but there seems to be more extreme binge drinking now. People drink in large quantities before going to an event -- what the kids call "pregaming." I don't remember that happening when I was in college.</p>

<p>I do like the greater awareness of drunk driving, but I wish it was accompanied by a greater awareness of other safety hazards and of alcohol poisoning. </p>

<p>The experts say that anyone who passes out as a result of drinking is in danger and needs medical attention, but students don't seem to know it, and if you tell them about it, they don't seem to believe it.</p>

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<p>I can't imagine getting through those ghastly frat parties without a little buzz.</p>

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<p>I am not up to speed on today's college kids, but there was TONS of binge drinking at my university in the late 70s. I remember drinking "games" (can't remember name of them) where you sat in a circle and took a shot of hard liquor if you missed a hand motion or something. I remember everyone taking shots whenever someone in the group said a pre-designated word. I remember kids "making margaritas" in others' mouths by lying back, putting a shot of tequila, salt and a squeeze of lime in their mouths.</p>

<p>What a do not remember is hearing of anyone dying, going to the hospital, being raped or, of those I've kept in touch with, becoming alcoholic because of it. (But then again, maybe my memory is foggy from all that binge drinking...)</p>

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<p>Marian--I agree about the binge drinking. "Pregaming" is essentially have a few (about 2-4) drinks before heading out, usually while getting ready to go out--girls doing hair, makeup, clothes, and guys catching the end of the game or calling people to find out where their friends are going. </p>

<p>Alcohol poisoning definitely needs to be taught to students--kids my age think they're untouchable and that 'passing out' won't have long term effects. I've seen someone pass out and not wake up, and the effects are real but until it happens to a student they won't really believe what they're told. That's a downfall to my generation. But there are those of us who take responsibility for our friends and almost every host likes to oversee the people at his place. Example: Friday night I went out with some friends to another friend's house party. We met up with another girl who was completely smashed (she'd had over 1/2 of a 1/5 of vodka) and the host made us take her home. Other people were drunk been when there's a danger involved, students help each other out.</p>

<p>I also know that alot of stories that students tell their friends about their drinking are exaggerated. Almost every day I'll hear someone saying "I passed out last night..." but in reality they just went to sleep at the party. There's a difference between "passing out" as in drinking too much to the point where you're standing one second and knocked out on the kitchen floor the next, and "passing out" as in 'i'm tired i'll go sleep on the couch', but my generation fails to recognize the difference. The former is very dangerous, and in addition to passing out, I'd say 80% of my friends who do drink don't believe that if you drink so much you puke all night you should go to a hospital because it's a sign of alcohol poisoning.</p>

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<p>In just my first two years of college in the '70s, I can distinctly remember three separate incidents:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>My dorm roommate didn't return to the room one night until 4 a.m. He had been in jail after being arrested for DUI while driving from a pregame frat party to the football parking lot.</p></li>
<li><p>A friend was so drunk that he fell 30 feet off a balcony and broke an arm and both of his legs. </p></li>
<li><p>A student in a convertible was speeding outside our dorm, hit a curb, flipped and was killed instantly. He had been drinking. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I don't recall any of these incidents, however, having any bearing on the drinking (or the driving) that I did in the final two years of my college life. </p>

<p>That was the '70s. I shudder now to think how stupid I was.
It's scary to think that students today are still just as unconcerned, just as naive.</p>

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<p>Bay--drinking games are still very popular, and take up a large portion of the pregaming and partying atmosphere.</p>

<p>Maybe these will ring a bell: Beer Pong/Beirut, Flippy Cup/Tippy Cup, F<em>c</em> the Dealer, A**hole, Chutes and Ladders (no longer just a kiddy game ;) ), Quarters, Drink!, and many many more.</p>

<p>Beer Pong--I don't really understand because if you win you don't have to drink as much. So the purpose is to lose?</p>

<p>Drink!--can be done anytime, anywhere, usually during a sporting event. During the Super Bowl, for example, anytime an announcer says a keyword like "touchdown" or "pass" or the name of one of the teams, everyone takes a drink.</p>

<p>And any conventional board game can turn into a drinking game. Wow I sound like an alcoholic. Believe it or not, I don't drink as much as many college kids--hence why I'm usually driving as stated in a previous post.</p>

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<p>It used to be "HI BOB". </p>

<p>The Bob Newhart Show. </p>

<p>I don't think they drink any more or any less. They still consume large quantities of cheap beer, just like the old days.</p>

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<p>It appears to me, at least in our town that underage drinkers are being caught and charged at a much higher rate than years ago. Even though the drinking age was lower in the "old days" there were still underage kids who drank in high school all the time and I don't remember ever hearing of anybody getting arrested or charged. So while I don't believe kids drinking habits have changed, I believe society and authorities have started paying a lot more attention to it and are taking more action.</p>

<p>Anybody remember that horrible stuff made from kool-aid/fruit punch and everclear the frat parties used to serve up in trash cans? It had a name but I can't remember it.</p>

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<p>I never really thought about it before, but I guess it's funny that a lot of people my age that I know would never drive anywhere while drunk, but they have no qualms about getting drunk in the first place. I don't know why exactly the driving thing happened...whether it was just pounded into their consciousness in school so much, or whether they're afraid they'd be killed or kill someone else, or whether they're afraid they'd be pulled over, or what. And the fact that they wear t-shirts that say things like "the liver is evil and needs to be punished" shows that they're aware on some level of the dangers involved, but I think it's in a "that happens to other people in faraway places, but not to me and my friends" sort of way. </p>

<p>I also know quite a lot of people that say they hate beer and will only drink other things, usually mixed drinks. When I had friends who drank freshman & sophomore year, they knew that they got their 5 hours or so of partying that night, and then they had to get up the next morning at a reasonable time, so what they would usually do is spend the evening getting ready and making mixed drinks, and then when they left they'd put some to go in one of those sports water bottles, and that would be all they'd drink at the party. It's actually a pretty good idea, too bad more people don't do it.</p>

<p>But honestly, I don't drink and I've never understood just why exactly it's considered so much fun to spend half the night puking, pass out, wake up the next day not remembering it, and then do it all over again that night.</p>

1 Like
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<p>Interesting, PackMom, that you don't think kids' drinking habits have changed. I really don't remember the nearly nightly binge drinking during my college years (mid-late 70's) On the other hand, that could be because reefers were cheaper & easier to come by... ;)</p>

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<p>Packmom--the drink you're referring to is called Jungle Juice. I've never had it from a trash can though....usually out of a punch bowl or those big Gatorade tubs that sports teams use</p>

<p>BlahDeBlah--I'm one of those that won't drink beer. I hate the taste and smell of it. But I like mixed drinks!</p>

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<p>I went to a big party school - and heavy drinking was common on Th- Sunday nights. Dorm parties, frat parties, apt parties and bars. Drinking age was 18 so it was not illegal. School did nothing to discourage it - totally looked the other way. Not much awareness or concern about drinking and driving either.<br>
So I think some of the same stuff goes on now, but kids do seem to have a more sensitivity to the drinking/driving issue (thank God). And it seems they may binge drink more often....not really sure since I'm not there!
One thing that seems different is the parental perspective. When I went to college, you wouldn't DARE ask your parents to participate in a drinking game with you -even though you were legal drinking age. Now, per my colleague's sorority daughter - this is pretty common. Yikes! I guess these are the same parents that served alcohol to their kids in high school. We even got a tour of a "beer pong" table at one parent's house. LOL. Are you kidding me?
I guess this is also an extension of the "parent as a buddy" trend. Not here though - no way, no how! We're happy being mean old parents...</p>

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<p>While I do have a daughter who just graduated college last year, I didn't attend college myself but these are my general impressions of the knowledge & behavior of my kids and their friends</p>

<p>For example- when I was in high school- little if anything was taught re substance use/abuse- or sex/disease/pregnancy- prevention.</p>

<p>Of course "we knew everything" anyway ( this was one of the "good suburban" high schools, that families relocated to send their kids to.)
In the 70s- I saw a lot of casual: sex, substance abuse. Lots of fake Ids that were never looked at very hard.</p>

<p>However- I did not see the pregaming I hear about now- while there was binging, it was abberant behavior, and not ever done by young women, unless they had a "severe" alcohol addiction.</p>

<p>( I had heard about different ways to get liquor down fast & knew people that had fifths of Everclear in their cabinet- but it wasn't that common)</p>

<p>Now- me myself- didn't like cheap beer, drugs were easier to get ahold of any way- although I didn't care for marijuana.
Still- looking back on high school days- it was virtually unheard of, to not attend at least one party with drugs/alcohol a weekend, and more common with parties on both fri & sat night.</p>

<p>Again in interest of full disclosure- I began smoking( cigarettes) in junior high - to "fit in". ( I was extremely young looking & desperate to be accepted by "older" crowd- too bad I didn't know how stupid I must have looked)</p>

<p>Other substances came soon afterwards in high school.
( Luckily- I don't have a gene for substance addiction- the only thing I have used for about 28 years has been to have a glass of wine occasionally- or some whiskey in my sore throat remedy ;) )</p>

<p>By contrast- both my kids have had much more education about personal health care and decision making in school ( and out) , for example, my oldest did a science fair presentation on sexually transmitted diseases when she was in 7th grade ( her team mates were two boys- at her age- I would have been too embarrased to even be in the * room* when "that" sort of thing was discussed, if the opposite sex was present- let alone work with them on a report! )</p>

<p>This D attended a private school- in middle school they also had a health class field trip to Planned Parenthood. ;)</p>

<p>( this D, I am fairly confident- never drank until senior year- and at that time didn't like it & felt quite upset that she wasn't able to refuse- she also didn't have a drink legally until she was several months past being 21- her choice- she probably did drink before that time in college- but I didn't have the impression it was a big part of campus life.......except during Renn Fayre)</p>

<p>She also opted to live in "sub free" dorms for three years. Sub Free at her school, are fairly popular. She opted for subfree, because she thought it would be quieter in general . I hear that at some schools, subfree dorms aren't taken seriously, but they are a good option for those who want to be away from substances, including cigarettes.</p>

<p>I have been to her school many times- as has my younger daughter & I have always felt comfortable with my younger daughter staying on campus- the "party" mentality is not a dominant one.</p>

<p>My younger daughter, is even more circumspect in her behavior especially considering her adventure seeking personality.
She is still in high school, but she spends her weekends either playing sports or watching movies with her friends.
When she was in middle school, she and a few friends had an "intervention" with a drug alcohol counselor at the school, for another friend that they were concerned about.</p>

<p>In my day- not only did we not have "drug alcohol counselors" but we would have never dreamed of going to an adult and expressing that we thought a peer had a problem.
I think that while there are some kids- who have much more extreme behavior, that most kids- are abstaining much longer altogether, and drink much less frequently, than students did 30 years ago.
I also think that parents are encouraging education re personal decision making and responsibility & kids are feeling better about the choices they make.</p>

<p>I think we are also much more aware of long term effects of health related decisions</p>

<p>* Some parents* anyway
I have just heard of one student- who a few weeks ago, apparently was drunk and fell off a balcony at Ds college while trying to spit- his parents are suing the school, for not preventing it.</p>

<p>He is fine- although pretty embarrased about his parents behavior.
Big mess for the school though</p>

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<p>Perhaps the "pregaming" trend is a result of universities not selling alcohol inside the football stadiums anymore, and also as a result of the "search and seizure" procedures now prevalent at the entry gates to most sporting events.</p>