<p>I went to a LAC with heavy Greek influence. We had parties Wed nights because there were no classes Thu morning, and there were beer trucks all weekend. We partied a lot, but I didn´t know anyone with alcohol poisoning. I lived in a co-ed dorm, but I didn´t remember people puking in the hallway. For one thing, we didn´t have alcohol in our rooms. We drank at the school pub, fraternities or downtown bars. Alcohol was readily available to us, and people didn´t drink until they passed out. Our school pub was at the student union, few steps from the library. I remember going there for ONE glass of beer after studying at the library. The tea house was also in the same building, some people would meet there instead sometimes. My class size was less than 700 students, we all knew each other.</p>
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<p>For the undergraduate population, the sex drive peaks between 18-22 but social skills are often slower in developing. Traditional-age undergrads have an innate need to connect with potential romantic partners but typically have great insecurities about doing so. Alcohol tends to moderate those insecurities. As noted above, alcohol has been a constant issue with college students for 800 years and 58% of today’s underage undergrads drink. Sexuality and intoxicants are givens for a large portion of this age group and always will be. The key is to help young people learn to negotiate the process safely and with responsibility.</p>
<p>Our DD is attending at Boston University this year, and they are MUCH tighter on drinking that they ever were in the late 70s when I went to school. All the dorms have security cards to swipe in. The big freshman dorms have security guards at the swipe area. They told us and the kids that if you have trouble swiping in, they call the RA. They also did a presentation to the parents at orientation specifically focusing on the financial cost of drinking. I know our DD has drank since she has been there, but it is NOTHING like my school, where there was (believe it or not) a SCHOOL SPONSORED DRINK OFF!! Even professors participated!!!</p>
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<p>Me neither. And since drinking was done in bars, that was a big factor. I’d nurse an chocolate sombrero for an hour or more 
I never went to house or dorm parties (and my college had no frats or sororities). This may be a NYC thing, more than an 80’s thing.</p>
<p>Of course Animal House, the movie, was made around that time, so big drinking was going on somewhere, I guess.</p>
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<p>YES!</p>
<p>Thanks, gadad for bringing up an interesting point which hadn’t occured to me. Still, I don’t get why so many parents seem to think that it’s acceptable for their college kids to be drinking underage as long as there’s no driving involved. It seems that the colleges and universities who are trying to reduce/eliminate underage drinking are fighting a losing battle largely because it’s simply so accepted by so many students and particularly their parents that college=underage drinking. I guess I wasn’t clear earlier when I asked why drinking was so important; I meant why are so many outraged that they are supposed to wait until they are of age.</p>
<p>There are loads of reasons why they shouldn’t be doing it which are supported by scientific studies which weren’t available when the drinking age was 18 (when I was an undergraduate), but isn’t the fact that it’s against the law enough?</p>
<p>I’m sorry Nrdsb4, that I seem given you the impression that my entire life was a gin-soaked orgy, lol. Actually, I was never much good at drinking and learned moderation as a result of the very unpleasant hangovers experienced during college years. Still, not knowing your age, I’m surprised that you never noticed how much more people used to drink in my/our parent’s day.</p>
<p>Can’t let that one go by unchallenged, gadad - perhaps that peak age is true for men, but not for women! Carry on.</p>
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<p>Dartmouth. 
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<p>It’s a silly law. Where we are now drinking age is 18, I don’t see D2 out there drinking. We offer her drinks at home, she always says no.</p>
<p>They are of age. They are 18, they are adults, they should be treated like one.</p>
<p>It might not be the peak but the options are much nicer then than at 40. Not to mention the will and lack of constraints.</p>
<p>Public drunkenness, Rapid high volume drinking, Secret rushed drinking, Fake ID’s…
IMO the prevalence of these are different from the “heavy” drinking of days gone by, which I of course know was in existence. The females tended to drink differently from the males (i.e.e less), no?</p>
<p>IMO these days girls pressure each other to binge-drink and pre-game and hook-up (starting in MS in some cases, unfortunately). It is not as much of Just a Guys’ thing these days… An ironic result of “women’s liberation”!</p>
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<p>Is it indeed a fact that people used to drink “much more” in our/our parents’ day?</p>
<p>I really don’t think it is the case that many kids were dying/being hospitalized for alcohol poisoning and I “didn’t notice.” I also don’t think they were pre-gaming in the dorms, puking in the hallways of my dorm and I “didn’t notice.” I can’t vouch for anyone else’s experience but my own. I said already that perhaps by virtue of where I lived, the people with whom I associated, etc., I wasn’t exposed to BINGE drinking, which I differentiate from someone who has a couple of drinks and then one or two more that they would have been better off not having.</p>
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<p>Damn Ivies ;)</p>
<p>Let me pipe in here. I was an under 21 drinker. I enjoy drinking now, particularly wine. Do not like liquor. Husband likes microbrews. DD says she would like to go to substance free housing next year. Good for her either way. We have never made liquor verbotin. We have said use your common sense. She chooses not to imbibe. God bless her. We do. Good for us. Common sense above all.</p>
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<p>We could just as well be asking “why are so many drivers allowed to go faster than the speed limit?”</p>
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<p>Why, Mamabear . . . you flirt! :D</p>
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<p>Are parents ok with kids speeding, too? How about cheating on their income taxes?
I don’t know, it just seems like telling your kids it’s no big deal to break the laws they don’t happen to agree with is playing fast and loose with the consequences they pay when they do…whether they are caught or not.</p>
<p>I’m just curious now, nrdsb4, where was it that you grew up?</p>
<p>I speed, try really hard not to get caught. I have an accountant. I am not sure what you mean by cheating on income tax. I do make financial decisions which would allow me to pay minimum tax possible. Is that cheating?</p>
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<p>Not sure what your point is here. Are you congratulating yourself because your daughter wants to live in substance-free housing? Do you think her decision is because you are ok with her drinking underage if she so chooses? Does “good for her either way” mean that you are equally pleased if she chooses to drink underage?</p>
<p>We’ve drifted far from the OP’s original question which I guess has been fully answered anyway. I just want to convey that I understand her disgust with the situation her D is dealing with and would probably feel the same way in her position. I just think that much of the fault for the underage drinking problem lies in the hands of the parents who don’t care much if their (underage) kids do drink.</p>
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<p>Of course not; your financial decisions (I assume) are perfectly legal aren’t they?
As far as the speeding goes, I just hope the consequences for it aren’t visited upon any innocent motorists you may encounter in the event things suddenly go badly for you. I assume if you are unfortunate enough to get caught you’d cheerfully pay the fine and accept the points ;)</p>
<p>No, I really don’t care if my 19 year old is having a drink every once in a while. I am in the camp of the reason why there is such a problem of binge drinking is because of our legal age for drinking.</p>
<p>I started drinking my JR yr of highschool, just weekend parties…not every weekend but there were a few times that I was doing more than sipping a beer. I continued drinking through College, not always getting drunk but that happened too. The older I got the less I drank when I had my daughter I for the most part quit drinking, now that she is 15 I will occaisionaly drink at home but never will I drink then drive, not even a single beer, I think it sends mixed messages to do so.
What I find interesting is D, a Jr but only 15, will not drink, not even a sip, declines any party invitation where alcohol might be present and wont date a guy who drinks. I have been very honest with her about my experiences in HS and beyond. I have not forbid alcohol, I think that would be silly, but I requested the that she calls home for a ride if she ever drinks at a party. It isn’t that it is okay to drink but I realize that it may happen and my ultimate concern is her safety. Frankly as we approach her Sr yr I hope that she decides to try a drink so that she can realize the affects of alcohol before she goes to College and puts herself in a risky situation.</p>
<p>I think that Colleges fighting alcohol is futile, I think the best thing they can do is educate students about the dangers of binge drinking. BTW the same drinking patterns occur in dorms on Military bases all over the world.</p>