Spring Break
VS: Are underage drinking laws effective?
Patrick Fancher and Dwight Wozich
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Forum
Patrick Fancher:
Most of us have heard the phrase, "If ain't broken, then don't try to fix it," which perfectly describes how I view the current state laws regarding underage drinking. Binge drinking will always be appealing to underage students, because many of them associate the college experience with going to parties and getting drunk. Changing the legal age to 18 or having less strict laws in place will do nothing to affect that philosophy.
The penalties are stiff for a reason, and are generally harsh enough that people won't make the same mistake twice. Minors in possession of alcohol face a minimum of $250 in fines, or could end up having to do community service and/or attend alcohol assessment and treatment, according to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.
I have firsthand experience regarding the tough state laws for alcohol related offenses, and I learned my lesson. When I was 21, I made the mistake of drinking and driving, and was arrested for a DUII. I had to deal with the humiliation of being arrested and being forced to attend weekly drug and alcohol diversion meetings for eight weeks, while also having to take drug tests just to get the process started.
I had to pay $1,500 for the ticket itself, in addition to the fees I had to pay for attending the diversion courses, taking the drug tests, and appearing in court. I lost my driver's license for three months, which consequently led me to lose my job as well. The whole thing really sucked at the time and it felt like the end of the world to me.
In retrospect, I feel lucky that I wasn't hurt and I didn't hurt anyone else. My fines weren't too expensive, considering some fines can be up to as much as $6,250. I was also fortunate in not having to spend any time in jail. The experience did convince me that drinking isn't all it's cracked up to be, and now I rarely touch alcohol as a result.
I hope that my example is something that not only people under 21 can learn from, but anyone who decides to drink alcohol. While I'm not trying to be a total buzz kill, I think it's important to keep in mind that alcohol impairs your judgment, and there will always be consequences for the decisions we make.
Most of us have heard the phrase, "If ain't broken, then don't try to fix it," which perfectly describes how I view the current state laws regarding underage drinking. Binge drinking will always be appealing to underage students, because many of them associate the college experience with going to parties and getting drunk. Changing the legal age to 18 or having less strict laws in place will do nothing to affect that philosophy.
The penalties are stiff for a reason, and are generally harsh enough that people won't make the same mistake twice. Minors in possession of alcohol face a minimum of $250 in fines, or could end up having to do community service and/or attend alcohol assessment and treatment, according to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.
I have firsthand experience regarding the tough state laws for alcohol related offenses, and I learned my lesson. When I was 21, I made the mistake of drinking and driving, and was arrested for a DUII. I had to deal with the humiliation of being arrested and being forced to attend weekly drug and alcohol diversion meetings for eight weeks, while also having to take drug tests just to get the process started.
I had to pay $1,500 for the ticket itself, in addition to the fees I had to pay for attending the diversion courses, taking the drug tests, and appearing in court. I lost my driver's license for three months, which consequently led me to lose my job as well. The whole thing really sucked at the time and it felt like the end of the world to me.
In retrospect, I feel lucky that I wasn't hurt and I didn't hurt anyone else. My fines weren't too expensive, considering some fines can be up to as much as $6,250. I was also fortunate in not having to spend any time in jail. The experience did convince me that drinking isn't all it's cracked up to be, and now I rarely touch alcohol as a result.
I hope that my example is something that not only people under 21 can learn from, but anyone who decides to drink alcohol. While I'm not trying to be a total buzz kill, I think it's important to keep in mind that alcohol impairs your judgment, and there will always be consequences for the decisions we make.
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