Pretty much since America’s birth, alcohol, and the regulations that should be imposed upon its users, has been a hotly disputed topic–whiskey tax, the whiskey rebellion, the early temperance movement, prohibition, the twenty-first amendment, state-constituted drinking ages. The drinking mentality is one that is hammered into our minds–it’s cool to drink, you harm your brain and body when you drink, you have fun when you drink, you are setting a bad example when you drink.
But it’s a very different scene in other countries–in Italy, drinking water with your meal is unheard of: “water is for washing, wine is for drinking.” Alcohol is something that is simply a way of life in other countries; it is not hyped up on either side of the spectrum–it’s not some grand substance that causes you to become a whole other, better, more fun, person; it’s not the devil’s beverage of choice.
Photo by ClickNathan
The American drinking mentality has been perpetuated by the argumentation over its place and regulation, and in particular, at the very least in our day and age, implementation of a drinking age, and the argument over what that drinking age ought to be, perpetuates its presence in the mind and promotes a mentality that either idolizes, or demonizes alcohol consumption. Either way, a perpetual conversation about alcohol keeps it on the mind and, overall, benefits no one and arguably creates the facade that alcohol is such a problem.
There is no question as to whether there is an underage drinking epidemic, and from there, a trend of binge-drinking that continues into young people’s twenties and thirties. But, I think that that the cause of that epidemic can easily be deemed the conversation over alcohol’s place in society.
Since there is a drinking age, young people are implicitly taught that drinking is something to long for, something to put on a pedestal as something that ‘makes you an adult.’ And when that age comes–or even when the first opportunity to consume alcohol presents itself, regardless of age–being able to drink that alcohol makes you feel so very, very cool.
Because of this hype, young people advocate for a lowered drinking age–they want to be able to drink. Older people want to keep the drinking age high–they want to keep a safe environment. Some people don’t care or don’t know enough to care. But realistically, the fact that this is even an issue points to the larger conclusion that the alcohol conversation is, simply put, way too prevalent.
Photo by ProCon
But, maybe that’s not really the issue. Nearly every single nation has a minimum drinking age–most of them being eighteen, some of them being sixteen–but no other country quite has the issue of overdrinking that America does today. Perhaps our issue has nothing to do with a drinking age and everything to do with our nationalism. America is, obviously, bigger and better than every other country in every single area that could even potentially be measured. Maybe that’s our problem–that thought process that makes us so focused on being better, cooler, more exciting than everyone else–that creates the desire to drink in excess.
Either way, it doesn’t matter. The point is, alcohol is simply too taboo and too much of a controversy. If alcohol–as in the drink itself–were more prevalent than the argument over whether when or where we should drink it, I think our issue really wouldn’t exist.
A hopeless dream? Yes. One that will ever become a reality? Definitely no.
Comment your opinions below.
Over and out.
-Courtney
I never thought that maybe the reason for the alcohol epidemic is the fact that alcohol is talked about too much. I think another thing too that really contributes is the media: movies, television shows, books. All of these portray high school and college as a fun time made possible by the consumption of alcohol. When students get to those times of life, they think that it’s normal and even encouraged to party because it fits the ideal image of what these life stages look like. But I think that more than anything, the main motive behind partying is to gain acceptance into a certain group and avoid missing out.