2008 Woodie Awards
Drinking laws only help to protect students
Issue date: 11/11/05 Section: Rocket Letters
To the Editor:
I read with interest the letter by Katie Zlokas, "Homecoming Ruined by Police". I am 57 years old, a 1970 college graduate and parent of children 18 and 20 who are enrolled in college.
Katie makes a point about the problem of the liquor control laws as they apply to college age students. Most of the students at SRU are old enough to vote, take responsibility for putting themselves in harm's way in the armed forces, get married, have children and assume debt. They aren't old enough to drink alcohol responsibly? Go figure.
Colleges must strictly control drinking by underage students for a number of reasons. Ultimately, the health and welfare of the students is what is most important, but colleges also must protect themselves against the legal implications of appearing to tolerate drinking by minors.
Our society does not deal well with issues of alcohol use and abuse, and youth alcohol consumption in particular. There is a way to address the problems caused by the liquor laws: change the laws. It is possible that a lower, more realistic drinking age could lessen youth alcohol abuse while promoting more intelligent alcohol consumption by everybody. This is an area where political action by you could result in beneficial change.
I finally gave up drinking alcohol completely about five years ago because I concluded it was bad for my health, a waste of time and money and an obstacle to always putting my best foot forward in circumstances where alcohol was served. I started drinking (illegally) at age 15, drank irresponsibly in college (like many my age) and continued for better or for worse until I was over 50. I am a far better man for having stopped and only wish that the idea of doing so had occurred to me at a younger age. I often wonder if my own life story would have been different had my youthful drinking been better informed and more intelligently managed by myself.
P. J. Tramdack
Bailey Library
I read with interest the letter by Katie Zlokas, "Homecoming Ruined by Police". I am 57 years old, a 1970 college graduate and parent of children 18 and 20 who are enrolled in college.
Katie makes a point about the problem of the liquor control laws as they apply to college age students. Most of the students at SRU are old enough to vote, take responsibility for putting themselves in harm's way in the armed forces, get married, have children and assume debt. They aren't old enough to drink alcohol responsibly? Go figure.
Colleges must strictly control drinking by underage students for a number of reasons. Ultimately, the health and welfare of the students is what is most important, but colleges also must protect themselves against the legal implications of appearing to tolerate drinking by minors.
Our society does not deal well with issues of alcohol use and abuse, and youth alcohol consumption in particular. There is a way to address the problems caused by the liquor laws: change the laws. It is possible that a lower, more realistic drinking age could lessen youth alcohol abuse while promoting more intelligent alcohol consumption by everybody. This is an area where political action by you could result in beneficial change.
I finally gave up drinking alcohol completely about five years ago because I concluded it was bad for my health, a waste of time and money and an obstacle to always putting my best foot forward in circumstances where alcohol was served. I started drinking (illegally) at age 15, drank irresponsibly in college (like many my age) and continued for better or for worse until I was over 50. I am a far better man for having stopped and only wish that the idea of doing so had occurred to me at a younger age. I often wonder if my own life story would have been different had my youthful drinking been better informed and more intelligently managed by myself.
P. J. Tramdack
Bailey Library
