<p>Just because there is a tradition doesn’t mean everyone does it.</p>
<p>DH is an enophile.
He purchased and saved a well rated bottle of wine of the birth year vintage.
Each kid gets their bottle for their (but not sent to school!) 21st birthday with instructions for use at ‘special occasion’.</p>
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<p>Idad, I’ve read about this “tradition” and agree it’s extremely dangerous.</p>
<p>I often see your posts in alcohol or fraternity threads and I am interested in your opinion on this.</p>
<p>What do you see is the reason for the rise in extreme binge drinking these days? When I was growing up, the legal drinking age in my state was 18. For my 18th birthday, my friends surprised me by being at a well known Mexican restaurant - I’d thought my boyfriend was just taking me out to dinner. We had a nice dinner. I had ONE margarita and I think my friends drank in similar fashion. In fact, while from time to time at college I observed people drinking excessively, I NEVER once witnessed extreme binge drinking (multiple shots, people kneeling down and drinking out of a hose held high above their heads, etc.). Drinking and driving was a problem, of course. I never heard of anyone dying of alcohol poisoning or being hospitalized for it.</p>
<p>By virtue of 18 being the legal age, you didn’t have 1/2 the campus too young and 1/2 old enough to drink. Therefore it wasn’t something you aspired to to feel older or fit in with upper classmen. I can’t help but wonder if this is part of the problem today…kids always want to emulate peers who are a little bit older.</p>
<p>To the OP: sorry for the hijack. </p>
<p>I think the nice dinner gift card is an excellent idea. Giving gifts in “21’s” is a cute idea as well, though I wouldn’t include alcohol in that. I know I-tunes gift cards are always a hit in my house. Or 21 of his favorite DVD’s of all time?</p>