Holloway 1

Rachel Holloway
Professor John Martin
Conversations About Life
19 March 2016
Local Drinking Policies and Lowering the Drinking Age
On college campuses throughout the United States there is an extremely prevalent stigma
surrounding college social life that assumes the need for alcohol in all entertainment. The culture
at almost every college promotes underage drinking as a tradition, and because teenage drinking
is so common, students tend to turn a deaf ear to the harmful and dangerous effects of excessive,
uneducated drinking.
In order to dramatically improve the safety of students on the University of Cincinnatis
campus, the minimum legal drinking age in Ohio should be changed from age 21 to age 18.
Lowering the drinking age will allow students to drink without having to sneak around to obtain
alcohol illegally, and the thrill and excitement surrounding drinking in college will be reduced.
This will lead to safer, more educated consumption that will decrease the dangers associated with
student intoxication. Furthermore, universities will be able to implement better, more aggressive
education programs to provide more practical safety methods and tips regarding responsible
consumption. Universities will also be able to gain more accurate feedback as to how the campus
can further the safety of students when it comes to drinking. Improved interaction between the
university and its students will overall lead to a safer college experience, and will allow students
to get the most out of their 4 years at school.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about four out of
five college students drink alcohol, and about half of the college students who drink also

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consume alcohol through binge drinking (College Drinking). As students come into the new
social environments at college, they struggle to establish themselves in their new surroundings
where they are often pushed outside of their comfort zones and are regularly pressured by their
peers. Oftentimes, students who have never had alcohol before in their lives try their first drink
within their first six weeks at college (College Drinking). Alcohol provides students with a
sense of maturity and responsibility, and this fact often pressures students into drinking in
unsafe, harmful situations so that students feel like they fit in with the crowd.
When it comes to the pressure that students feel to drink and the means by which students
illegally obtain and consume alcohol, the University of Cincinnati is no exception. Though the
alcohol policy on campus is actively enforced, there is still a prevalent belief that alcohol is the
fastest means to rise in the social ladder, and thus underage drinking is currently at an all time
high. Because most of the students on campus are under 21 and choose to consume alcohol under
the radar, these teenagers tend to be extremely uneducated in regards to how to safely consume
alcohol and conduct themselves in a safe, respectable manner. From this, injuries, assault, sexual
abuse, drunk driving, vandalism and property damage have dramatically increased as the rate of
underage drinking rises (Snapshot...). Thus, the real problem is not the drinking itselfits the
fact that because these underage students are scrambling to drink any alcohol they can get their
hands on, they are binge drinking to excess and putting themselves in extremely harmful
situations (Snapshot).
Though underage drinking is an extremely prevalent issue on the University of
Cincinnatis campus, lowering the drinking age to 18 is not just a discussion surrounding the
Cincinnati area. It is a controversial topic that has been debated throughout the entire United
States and is strongly supported by the professors and presidents of many different universities.

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The Amethyst Initiative is an organization consisting of U.S. college presidents and chancellors
that are fighting to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. This group publicly describes
their dissatisfaction with the minimum age limit of 21, as they believe that this age restriction is
not working as effectively as the public would like to believe. Underage students are obtaining
alcohol regardless, and the unintended consequences from illegal binge drinking are significantly
increasing the risk to young people throughout America (Amethyst Initiative).
In 1984 Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which established a
10% penalty from the states federal highway appropriation on any state that sets its legal
drinking age below 21 years of age. According to the Amethyst Initiative, this system is
ineffective and strongly limits the way that universities are equipped to deal with and educate
students on drinking. College administrations are preaching to their students that abstinence is
the only legal option, however this system is not changing the way that students approach
alcohol in the slightest. Instead, a culture of reckless binge drinking on the weekends has
developed across college campuses throughout America, and this drinking environment makes it
a lot easier for students to say yes to their peers and say no to the law.
Furthermore, this disregard for the law becomes especially prevalent when students
purchase and use fake identification. Because students are scrambling to obtain alcohol under the
legal age limit, they are using fake forms of identification to pretend to be someone that they are
not, which leads to these students breaking bigger and more threatening laws than simply
underage drinking. If students are caught drinking with fake identification, they can suffer
serious repercussions that can affect them not only at the time of the offense, but that can also go
on their records and haunt them for years afterwards. These consequences include conviction for
a Class 1 misdemeanor, a fine of at least $500 or fifty hours of community service, and possible

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loss of your drivers license for one year (IdentityHawk). Students who use fake IDs to obtain
alcohol put themselves in dangerous situations and risk breaking the law simply to experience
the thrill of drinking in college. If the drinking age were to be lowered to age 18 rather than age
21, these students would have no need to purchase and use fake IDs to obtain alcohol, which
would decrease the risk of these students being caught and punished for breaking the law.
In addition, under U.S. legislature, there is a strong double-standard when it comes to the
minimum age at which people are deemed responsible and mature enough to make adult
decisions. For example, students between 18 and 21 are deemed capable of voting, signing
contracts, serving on juries, marrying, and enlisting in the military, yet current laws insist that
they are not mature enough to handle alcohol (Drinking Age). This contradiction regarding the
age at which someone becomes mature enough to make life decisions is an unfair and
discriminatory section of our law system that needs to be addressed. The law gives teenagers
numerous responsibilities once they turn 18, so why are they responsible enough to sign
contracts, get married and serve on juries, yet they are not responsible enough to consume
alcohol? A law that tells students under the age of 21 that they are not allowed to drink, but they
are able to make other life decisions and serve for our country is an immense double standard
that can be eliminated if the MLDA is lowered to age 18.
To combat this double standard, the university presidents and chancellors of the
Amethyst Initiative are making large strides in gathering enough support throughout the country
to lower the MLDA of 21. They, [call] upon our elected officials to invite new ideas about
the best ways to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol (Amethyst
Initiative). As more young adults are becoming aware of making responsible decisions about

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alcohol, the university presidents and chancellors of the Amethyst Initiative pledge to play vital
constructive roles in these discussions. Lowering the drinking age will allow universities to
approach alcohol education in new, innovative ways, which will ultimately teach students how to
safely and responsibly consume alcohol. In eliminating abstinence as the sole method to
approach students about alcohol, the nation would be able minimize the dangerous binge
drinking that occurs on college campuses, and the overall safety of students in regards to
drinking would increase considerably.
Though there is an increasing amount of support for lowering the drinking age, there are
also many opponents that argue against this legislation. Physically, alcohol plays a significant
role in the development of the human body, and can interfere with the development of the young
adult brains frontal lobe, an area that is essential for functions such as emotional regulation,
planning and organization. In the case of a college student looking to obtain a degree and
establish themselves in the working world, this is a risk that should not be taken lightly.
In one study conducted by Brown University, the short-term memory skills of alcoholdependent and nondependent adolescents ages 15 to 16 were evaluated and compared in order to
determine the effects of alcohol consumption on the adolescent brain. According to the study, the
alcohol-dependent youth had a significantly more difficult time remembering words and
geometric designs after a ten-minute interval, indicating the negative health effects that underage
alcohol consumption can have on a developing brain (Underage Drinking). For teens in college
these negative health effects are risks that cannot be taken lightly and that need to be taken into
account when considering binge-drinking on a regular basis, especially due to the fact that these
students are seeking degrees and are looking to establish themselves in their future careers. If
these students suffer from negative mental health effects such as memory-loss and decreased

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planning and organization skills, this could have a direct impact on their performance in their
careers later in life.
Furthermore, excessive alcohol consumption in college often leads to academic problems
for many students. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about
1 in 4 college students report academic consequences from drinking, including missing class,
falling behind in class material, and receiving lower grades on assignments and overall grades in
their classes (College Drinking, 2). As college GPAs are important determining factors in
whether or not a student obtains a decent job out of college, or even whether a student gets
accepted into graduate school, this is a consequence that should not be taken lightly. Students
must make the decision as to whether they want to let their social life and alcohol consumption
impact their academic performance, as their grades are an important factor in determining their
futures.
In addition, alcohol consumption by a young adult increases their vulnerability to
addiction, dangerous risk-taking behavior, a reduced ability to make rational decisions,
depression, violence and suicide (Drinking Age). According to the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more
likely to develop alcohol dependence at some time in their lives compared to those who have
their first drink at age 20 or older (College Drinking). Furthermore, more than 150,000 students
develop an alcohol-related problem and between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that
they attempted to commit suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use (College
Drinking). These facts indicate that there is a definite correlation between excessive alcohol use
in college and increased rates of depression, addiction, and reduced ability to make rational
decisions. The culture of binge drinking in college encourages students to make uneducated and

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irresponsible decisions when it comes to alcohol and this often leads to abuse and dependence
issues later in life, especially if there is a history of alcoholism in a students family lineage.
In addition, another aspect of lowering the drinking age that opponents argue against is
the fact that the current minimum legal drinking age of 21 reduces the overall number of alcoholrelated traffic accidents and fatalities. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death
among youth ages 15 to 20 (Underage Drinking). Adolescents are already at an increased risk
of fatality from motor vehicle crashes due to their relative lack of driving experience. However,
drivers under the age of 21 are also more susceptible than older drivers to drive under the
influence, which dramatically increases the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the rate of fatal crashes
among alcohol-involved drivers between 16 and 20 years of age is more than twice the rate for
alcohol-involved drivers above age 21 (College Drinking).
However, the overall rate of alcohol-related crashes and fatalities would decrease if the
minimum legal drinking age is lowered to 18 due to the fact that students would not have to
obtain and consume alcohol illegally. The stigma and thrill of drinking illegally would be
eliminated, and thus students would be more willing to become more educated about drinking
and driving. In addition, students would feel less need to binge drink, which would help increase
their tolerance to alcohol and learn how to responsibly manage their alcohol consumption. This
fact is supported by the statistic from ProCon.org, describing how there are fewer drunk driving
accidents and fatalities in European countries with a minimum legal drinking age of 18. Thus,
lowering the MLDA to 18 would teach students to better manage their consumption, and would
empower them with more responsibility when it comes to alcohol. With less binge-drinking, the
amount of drunk driving accidents would appreciably decrease.

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Another argument that opponents of lowering the MLDA insist upon is the fact that
lowering the drinking age would give high school and middle school kids easier access to
alcohol. Just as underage teenagers are illegally obtaining and consuming alcohol today with the
legal drinking age at 21, this phenomenon would only shift so that younger kids would be more
susceptible and more pressured to drink. High school and middle school kids would have access
to alcohol through their legal peers, perhaps through an older sibling or an older classmate who
graduated and went off to college. However, this is an issue that is already occurring today, as
there is an increasing number of high school and middle school teens that are gaining access to
alcohol and who are irresponsibly binge drinking. According to the National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism, by the time they reach the 8th grade, nearly 50% of students have had at
least one drink, and over 20 percent report having been drunk before. In addition, among high
school seniors approximately 50% had consumed alcohol within the past 30 days of when the
study was conducted (College Drinking).
Though opponents argue that lowering the MLDA to 18 will cause the rate of underage
drinking to increase, underage drinking is a problem that will occur regardless of the drinking
age. This problem is partially due to the fact that in many states throughout the United States,
though the minimum legal drinking age is set to 21, there are exceptions to the law that give
minors access to alcohol long before they would be able to legally purchase and consume it.
Specifically, 45 states have exceptions to the law that allow underage consumption under certain
circumstances. There are only five states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire,
and West Virginia, that have no such exceptions. These exceptions to the law include allowing
underage alcohol consumption on private, non-alcohol-selling premises, with parental consent,
which is currently allowed in 29 states. In 6 other states, parental consent is not required. In 16

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states, underage drinking is allowed for medical purposes, in 11 states for educational purposes,
and in 4 states for government work-related purposes (Drinking Age).
Though these exceptions are set in place with the purpose of giving students experience
with alcohol in safe, parental-supervised environments, this intention is misguided and is not
having the effect on the American youth that it was intended to provide. Instead, it gives
underage kids the impression that it is acceptable to drink, and that it is OK to break the law.
Situations like these, as well as the stigma surrounding underage drinking, jumpstart students
experiences with alcohol, and in turn they pressure other youth to underage drink as well.
Disadvantages aside, lowering the drinking age in Ohio is a move that needs to be made.
There will always be underage drinking that occurs regardless of the legal drinking age, however
a MLDA of 18 instead of 21 will allow universities throughout Ohio to proactively address the
alcohol consumption that is occurring on their campuses. Instead of using abstinence as the only
method to deal with alcohol, colleges like UC will be able to implement better, more aggressive
programs throughout the university to educate students on the dangers of alcohol and how to
responsibly drink and avoid harmful situations. In addition, students would be more willing to
reach out for assistance to the resources that are provided through UC, which would result in
improved mental and physical health of the UC student body.
Currently, college students arent well informed about how to recognize the signs of
alcohol abuse and dependence, and are most often afraid to seek help out of fear that they will be
reprimanded for drinking in the first place. Substance abuse and dependence are real problems
that affect about 31% of all college students, with 6% having been diagnosed with alcoholism in
the past 12 months (Snapshot). If the minimum legal drinking age is lowered, the fear of
being punished for underage drinking will be eliminated, at which point there can be healthy

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discussions and treatment programs implemented around campus to ensure the mental well-being
of all UC students.
Though alcohol dependence and substance abuse are extremely relevant problems that
occur on numerous college campuses throughout the United States, UC has already implemented
numerous sites and programs to address the alcohol problems on campus, and to inform UC
students about how to safely and responsibly consume alcohol. For example, UC has dedicated a
site to educate students about how to responsibly drink, as well as what to look for when
identifying alcohol poisoning, how to monitor your alcohol intake and how to lower your risk of
negative physical and mental consequences. UC also provides links to external sites describing
the culture of college drinking and the consequences of dangerous binge drinking.
In addition, the Student Wellness Center at UC lists on their website various resources
throughout the university area whose sole purposes are to maintain the physical and mental
health of UC students (Alcohol). Students have unlimited access to these resources, however
the question then arises as to how well these services are advertised, and how willing a student is
to use these resources. According to UCs Student Wellness Center, of the students who drink at
UC, 94.6% of students reported using at least one or more of the drinking safety methods listed
on the groups website within the last 12 months (Alcohol). This statistic indicates that UC
students are becoming more aware of the dangers that are associated with binge drinking, and are
more often utilizing methods such as pacing drinks and avoiding drinking games in order to
consume alcohol in a more responsible manner. However, the safety of students when it comes
to drinking could be further increased if the MLDA is lowered to age 18, because UC would be
able to implement aggressive and direct programs to help students make responsible decisions.
Having a website with information will only go so far when it comes to teaching students,

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especially due to the fact that UC is limited to discussing abstinence as the only approach to
underage drinking. If college drinking were to be legalized, students would also be less fearful of
the harsh repercussions set in place if caught drinking, which would further encourage students
to seek help if it were needed. This would then open the floor for healthy discussions about
alcohol.
As of today, the University of Cincinnati has an alcohol policy that supports the law of
the state of Ohio as stated in the Ohio Revised Code. As it follows, students under the age of 21
are prohibited from purchasing, possessing, transporting or consuming any beer or intoxicating
liquor. In addition, it is against the law to purposely fake someone elses identity and
misrepresent someones age to obtain alcoholic beverages, and it is also illegal to possess alcohol
in a public place or motor vehicle. Finally, it is illegal to sell beer/liquor to a minor, which occurs
frequently on UCs campus. As the university alcohol policy states, violators to this policy will,
be subject to disciplinary action and may be subject to actions outlined in the Ohio Revised
Code (Conduct and Ethics). While these university policies are slightly vague and openly
support the law of the state of Ohio, these regulations are often loosely enforced on campus,
especially in regards to bars, clubs and house parties.
The News Record, the campus news broadcasting network at UC, released an article in
March of 2015 describing a review prepared every two years by UCs Wellness Center that
includes an evaluation of drug and alcohol use, campus education programs, and the disciplinary
actions set in place for students who break policy regulations. UC Wellness Center director
Regan Johnson states that, being able to complete that report every two years really gives us an
opportunity to evaluate where we are as an institution and make some changes based on that.

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The most recent initiative is centered around residence hall programming, Greek-life initiatives
and party smart packs that include tip sheets and supplies like Ibuprofen and condoms.
However, Johnson still insists that more needs to be done to address UCs high drug and alcohol
use. According to data from a 2013 American College Health Association reference report,
UCs rates of drug and alcohol use are roughly 10 percent higher than average. This high rate of
substance use can possibly be attributed to a lack of resources that are put into addressing those
issues, however a lack of enforcement of the current policies also plays a large role (DePompei).
When a student is caught violating the universitys drug and alcohol code of conduct, the
UC police send a report to the Office of Judicial Affairs. There, Daniel Cummins, UCs assistant
Dean of Students and the Director of Judicial Affairs, gives students the opportunity to dispute
the accusations or recommend sanctions during a procedural review. During the 2013-2014
academic year, Judicial Affairs recorded 195 cases of students illegally using drugs or alcohol,
and of these cases, 182 students received probation and educational sanctions. If any of these
students break the Ohio law (which would also violate UCs alcohol policy), it could result in an
arrest. However, Cummins states that the process with the university is completely separate from
the municipal process, so the municipal process cant suspend a student and the university
process cant incarcerate a student (DePompei).
When these students break the UC drug and alcohol policy, there are various disciplinary
actions that could be set in place, including a simple reprimand, reflection papers, workshops and
even a dismissal from the university. However, Zef Vesel, the President of UCs chapter of
Students for Sensible Drug Policy, questions whether educational sanctions or arrests positively
affect a students behavior (DePompei). Instead, Vesel suggests education, support and harm

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reduction as the most effective ways of managing underage consumption and illegal drug use on
campus. Vesel states, I dont think police, criminal justice or judicial affairs is at all equipped to
deal with substance useWhat I think should happen is anybody that is caught using illegal
substances or underage drinking, that just means they need support and they need measures
taken, education given [and an] understanding of that person and their circumstance
(DePompei). Students should not fear being arrested or expelled from the university when they
are caught using illegal substances. This fact often discourages students from utilizing the
educational and support resources that are set in place on campus to assist the mental and
physical well-being of UC students. Instead, policy violators should be educated on how to be
more responsible while making these decisions, as this will improve the safety of our students as
a whole.
Furthermore, there are many supporters at UC including Vesel and Johnson that support
adopting a medical amnesty policy. This policy would protect students who need to report an
alcohol-related medical emergency from being reprimanded for breaking the student code of
conduct. Oftentimes, there are real medical emergencies that occur such as alcohol poisoning
that seriously threaten someones life, and there should be no hesitation in calling 911 due to a
fear of the consequences of the illegal consumption that was occurring.
While medical amnesty and a modified enforcement policy would improve the safety of
our students at UC, reckless illegal drug and alcohol use on campus will continue to occur,
regardless of the methods used to address, as well as to prevent, these issues. Students will
always be fearful of the consequences surrounding underage drinking as long as the minimum
legal drinking age is set at 21, which leads directly to students hesitation towards using the
resources set in place at UC in fear of being reprimanded. As long as the MLDA in Ohio is set at

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21, our students at UC will continue to be put in danger. Passive education policies have simply
not done the trick when it comes to increasing the safety of students, as indicated through the
large numbers of sexual assaults, injuries and even deaths that occur due to underage binge
drinking (College Drinking).
In conclusion, lowering the minimum legal drinking age in Ohio to 18 will not only allow
UC to implement more aggressive education programs, but will also reduce the stigma and thrill
surrounding college drinking. This will lead to less binge drinking and a more responsible use of
alcohol in safer environments. Students will also have a lesser fear of the consequences they
would face if caught underage drinking, which will encourage them to seek out more assistance
and resources to address their physical and mental well-beings. Twenty-one is simply not
working, and it is time to change the way that college drinking is perceived so that the
generations of college students to come will be able to enjoy their college experiences in a safer,
more responsible manner.

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Works Cited
"Alcohol." Student Wellness Center. University of Cincinnati, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<https://www.uc.edu/wellness/topic_areas/alcohol.html>.
"Amethyst Initiative." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.theamethystinitiative.org/about/>.
"College Drinking." College Drinking. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, n.d.
Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/CollegeFactSheet/CollegeFactSheet.pdf>.
"College Drinking." College Drinking. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, n.d.
Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/special-populations-cooccurring-disorders/college-drinking>.
"Conduct and Ethics: University Alcohol Policy." Conduct and Ethics: University Alcohol
Policy (n.d.): n. pag. University of Cincinnati. University of Cincinnati, 17 Oct. 2007.
Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <https://www.uc.edu/content/dam/uc/trustees/docs/rules_10/10-1707.pdf>.
DePompei, Elizabeth. "University of Cincinnati Reviews Drug, Alcohol Policies." The News
Record. The University of Cincinnati, 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.newsrecord.org/news/university-of-cincinnati-reviews-drug-alcoholpolicies/article_72e3085c-c774-11e4-a0af-e3fb00fc5c23.html>.
"Drinking Age ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. ProCon.org, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://drinkingage.procon.org/>.

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"IdentityHawk." What Are the Penalties for College Students Using Fake ID's? Identity Hawk,
n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016. <http://www.identityhawk.com/Penalties-for-college-studentsusing-fake-ids>.
"Lowering the Legal Drinking Age: An Analysis of the Pros and Cons." SpeakUP Prevention
Coalition. SpeakUP Prevention Coalition, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.speakupcoalition.org/positionpaper_lowering_drinking_age/>.
"A Snapshot of Annual High-Risk College Drinking Consequences." College Drinking:. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/StatsSummaries/snapshot.aspx>.
"Underage Drinking: A Major Public Health Challenge -- Alcohol Alert No. 59." Underage
Drinking: A Major Public Health Challenge -- Alcohol Alert No. 59. National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Apr. 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa59.htm>.