The Problem with American Drinking Laws

Cate Hardy-Daily Barometer

In the U.S., it seems that Europe is considered an ideal travel destination for two reasons: firstly the promise of attractive Europeans (a myth I’m afraid to dispel), and secondly the lure of being able to buy alcohol. While it’s true that the drinking age in Europe is officially 18, on the continent it’s actually possible to buy alcohol at a much younger age.

Having just experienced my first American college Halloween, it seems laughable, however, that the drinking age here is anything of an obstacle. If everyone I saw stumbling down Greek Row on Saturday night was over 21, then OSU has been doing some very speedy recruitment of seniors.

Being over 21 myself, the sense of obligation to supply those younger than you with alcohol is immense, and, while I have to fear deportation if caught, it seems for the most part supplying alcohol to minors is an overlooked crime here.

In Oregon, the penalty for a first-time offense is $350. While this is a sizeable sum, I have yet to hear of its actually enforcement – it seems to be more of a threat than a real penalty. 17 to 20 percent of alcohol sold in the state is to supply underage drinkers.

Having read a few editions of ”Police Beat” now, it also seems the dreaded ”Minor in Possession” is a rarity, reserved only for the smallest minority of underage drunks who are unfortunate enough to be caught. It is essentially as if Corvallis has an unofficial drinking age of 18, with ease of access to alcohol and a small chance of repercussions if caught.

Being British, a drinking age of 21 confuses me. “Dry” dorms on campus and Greek houses don’t act as a deterrent, they only seem to help promote binge drinking by ensuring students who live there have to finish all of their drinks before they can go home. It ensures students who are underage are also limited to drinking within a party environment, which is often unsafe for early experiments with alcohol. Drinking is a means to becoming drunk, rather than a substance to be enjoyed for pleasure – say a glass of wine with a good film.

How can we expect OSU students to cultivate a healthy relationship with alcohol when clearly legislation and rules seem to essentially promote dangerous alcohol use? I can’t help but feel lowering the drinking age to 18 eliminates many of these risks.

The “unofficial” drinking age of 18 that occurs here at the moment can leave students unsure of where they stand – can they go back to dorms drunk without fear of repercussion?

Can an older student drink with under 21 year-olds without fear of being accused of “supplying?” More than this, it is so easy for a student under 21 to get hold of alcohol that the law is essentially hollow. Are you really going to go party and leave your underage roommate at home playing World of Warcraft?

According to the World Health Organization, the alcohol dependence rate in the U.S. is at 7.8 percent, as opposed to the figures for Italy (1%) and Spain (2.8%), showing quite frankly that the approach here just isn’t working.

In addition to having a lower drinking age both these countries have a far more relaxed attitude towards alcohol consumption. This teaches children from a young age to enjoy drinking as part of meals (often watered down) and as a responsible social activity, rather than as an elusive banned substance reserved for “adults,” and is instead associated with sophistication and maturity. Alcohol is treated as more of a drink valued for flavor than its capacity for intoxication.

I have even heard tales of French schools wherein a small amount of highly diluted red wine was given as part of school meals. As a result, Spain and Italy (alongside other Romantic European states) have long been held as model states wherein the youth grow up responsibly, knowing their limits as well as becoming DIY sommeliers. Rates of alcohol-related road deaths are also significantly lower, as teenagers and youths learn appropriate behavior and actions at a much younger age.

Lowering the drinking age to 18 would be a step in the right direction, but obviously attached to that must come cultural changes, too. A move away from drinking light beer would clearly be a start and, I would imagine, be an even greater boost the Oregon’s microbrewers. Willamette Valley wine is famous, but we should be able to appreciate it, not chug it back.

Students can only behave responsibly around alcohol if they have been taught how. While an element of this is self-ownership, it seems also necessary to credit parents and society as a whole as responsible for showing us how to drink sensibly without the dream of total abstinence.

I can’t imagine Corvallis actually being able to secede from the Union and lowering the drinking age any time soon.

If it did, however, I’m sure they could join the European Union, embrace responsible youth drinking at a sensible age and, perhaps more importantly to my own personal mission, discover just how ordinary-looking Europeans are.

Cate Hardy is a junior in political science and history. The opinions expressed in her columns do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Barometer staff. Hardy can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com

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