My beloved Daily Tar Heel has made waves again recently, this time for a well-reported article about a significant uptick in alcohol citations so far this year.
As the article details, the number of underage drinking citations issued by Chapel Hill police from August 1st to September 28th jumped from 29 last year to 65 this year. That spike comes mostly from increased enforcement, according to Chapel Hill Police.
But since this story comes on the heels of a high-profile cocaine bust in my quiet little university town, it's feeding into the perception of rising debauchery among Tar Heel undergrads. Local media picked up on the increase in alcohol busts, speculating the famed Halloween and basketball celebrations on Franklin Street might contribute to a "culture of drinking."
While this is a fine debate to have -- yet again -- it's a little bit absurd that 65 alcohol citations are enough to spark it. If you give me a flashlight, a badge and a bicycle, I will find you 65 underage drinkers tomorrow night. Between the hours of 11:00 and 12:30. In a two-block radius of Franklin Street.
Sixty-five underage drinkers is a drop in the keg, and the fact that this is being touted as an example of rigorous enforcement speaks volumes about the uselessness of busting house parties and demanding ID's.
An alcohol citation has become the collegiate equivalent of a speeding ticket; for every poor SOB who doesn't sneak away from the party in time, there are 30 others speeding past with their illicit PBR or solo cup of cheap vodka & Coke.
This kind of utterly arbitrary enforcement raises an issue of basic fairness. Functioning laws rely on some level of cultural support; laws that are not supported by society at large are more-or-less unenforceable on any consistent basis.
Stopping underage drinking does not enjoy broad cultural support, to put it mildly. And instead of touting 65 misdemeanor citations, Chapel Hill Police and campus administrators should focus on preventing binge drinking, alcohol poisoning, drunk driving and violent behavior.
And the best way to do that would be to support the Amethyst Initiative and finally bring the law in line with cultural reality. Then the hardworking cops of Chapel Hill can focus on preventing crimes with actual victims.
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Thank you for speaking out and saying this! Do you support lowering the drinking age so that less college students are actually breaking the law? Do you think that lowering the drinking age would decrease the binge drinking, drunk driving, etc?
I'm still so on the fence about the drinking age. I want people to have responsible fun without fear of the law. Besides, lowering the drinking age would be a free market boon to the alcohol companies. I just hope 18 year olds can actually become more responsible about drinking when it's legal again for them to do it. Perhaps doing a "trial" run of sorts might be pertinent.
Will,
I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that it'd be ideal for 20 year-olds to find better things to do than get trashed on Friday nights. And I would wholeheartedly support an effort to provide alcohol-free events for students.
But as you note, "responsible fun" involving alcohol is perfectly possible; it's just a whole lot less likely when you're trying to keep consumption hidden from cops and noise-complaining neighbors.
I'm not a drinker, but I'd be glad to sign up for your trial run of an 18+ drinking age.