Dissertation on Binge Drinking

In the state of Pennsylvania, many actions are taken against underage drinkers. They range from fines, to classes, to license suspension. Some people feel it is necessary to revise the consequences youth offenders on campus face; some people feel that the consequences are what the offenders deserve. 

This is a controversial issue that will be explored. It does not only involve the offender, but the parents of the students, the campus itself, and the students enrolled in the campus as well. This is an ongoing issue most likely because of the fact that people have different opinions on the issue of underage drinking in college, whether it is part of the college culture or not. No matter if it is part of the culture or not, the police enforcement does not believe that this is the case, there are standing rules and regulations for the violators of the Pennsylvania state laws.

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Pennsylvania has strict laws against underage drinking. For a first offender, they have the option to pay a $107 fine, attend 15 hours of alcohol class, and lose their license for 90 days. These laws apply to Pennsylvania State University as well. Many, however not all times, parents end up paying the fines, and it becomes their responsibility to transport their son/daughter because they do not have a license. Parents have mixed responses to the issue.

From speaking with parents of youth offenders, and researching parental opinions on underage alcohol use, there were different perspectives being taken into account. "37% of parents surveyed and 46 percent of teens surveyed indicated that they know of parents who have hosted teen alcohol parties" (Beth). This survey indicates that about half the teens that were surveyed know of parental consent for underage drinking, and half do not. Parents that consent to this feel that drinking is part of a culture, and that "It's pretty obvious you can't stop teenagers from drinking" (Beth), but many parents feel that under supervision, a teenager will learn to drink responsibly especially for when they go to college.

There is a new policy on many campuses including Penn State, about informing the parent of an alcohol citation. Parents who disapprove of underage drinking, as well as parents who do approve, think that this is an effective policy. Some people feel that by informing parents, it is just a temporary solution for a deeper problem, whereas others feel that it is "an opportunity for the institution to bring parents into the process at an early stage where they may make an effective deterrence of further alcohol violations" (Martz). It is true that underage drinking is a problem, but is parental advising a solution? The campus feels that this, as well as the implemented laws will solve the problem of underage drinking on campus.

Many people feel that drinking is part of the culture on a college campus. Gram Spanier, the president of Penn State University, feels that he is not out to abolish underage drinking, he just wants people to be responsible while drinking. However, in 1998 during the first few weekends of school at Penn State, four fraternities were charged with giving alcohol to minors. Many different organizations got together and addressed the issue and "with all of these efforts and more we are beginning to see a change at Penn State" (Rehring). The laws in University Park are fully enforced; however the rate arrests went up by 370 arrests from the year 2001 to 2002 on the Penn State campus. One of the solutions that were brought up was the "substance free dorms". These affects were positive; binge drinking became lower among these students. Citation reports dropped 10 percent in total for the country.

In other countries such as Puerto Rico, the drinking age is 18. A student at Penn State was asked if he enjoyed drinking and his response was, "Where I come from, there is not as much emphasis put on drinking because you are basically allowed to drink when you are 14 years old. I will drink, but not to get drunk." Authorities in America say that there are "over 10 million people between the ages of 12 and 20 who drink on a regular basis" (Geir). This causes a concern because drinking is the cause of many fights, deaths, and a riot that happened on the Penn State campus. So the police force feels they need to enforce "prevention, education, suppression, and intervention" (Geir), and they feel that the implications taken on offenders will do just that.

Campuses such as Penn State that penalize underage drinkers with penalties stated above found that there was "5 to 10 percent drop in alcohol use" (Schevitz). The class one is forced to take advises students on the dangers of alcohol and education is proven to be the best form of student awareness. However, there are still a number of repeat offenders that this did not affect positively.

Another penalization is a license suspension that is ordered to a youth offender. A parent of a youth offender, when asked if this was an appropriate punishment stated "I do not understand, if the person is not behind the wheel of a car, how can their liscense be affected, I believe that this punishment is unrelated to the violation and puts me as a parent in responsibility for my daughter because now I have to drive her around. I feel there is a better and more effective way to discipline these children." On the other hand, that "a loss of license would bring added consequence" (McCabe). These people feel that a license is a privilege and gives one freedom. When a person abuses that freedom then the rightful punishment would be taking it away; "Everyone relies on their driver's license" (McCabe). There is also a $100 fee in addition to the fines that must be paid in order to renew the license.

The fines that are ordered by the court are useful and are not. The first fine is $107 and that goes to the court. This fine many times is paid by the money given to the child by the parent. Other times it is hard earned money that is made by the offender, and it will teach them the lesson either to be more careful or not drink at all. There is also another fine regarding the first offense. It is $175 to enroll in the alcohol class. Obviously the funds go to the instructors, but if a child is paying out of their own money, many times they feel resentful of the fact that they must pay to become more educated about the use of alcohol and it may turn their eagerness to learn around. Other times, when the person is not forced to pay the bill and it comes out of their parent's pockets, they do not feel this resentment and they may be able to get the education intended out of the course and it changes their lives and well being. Some people feel that the fines are extreme amounts of money and this gives the offender the feeling that the police were "looking for leverage, and they want something to hold over the kids" (Barstow).

This becomes an issue of money rather than an issue of understanding that the violation against the law was wrong. However, the first offense fine is significantly reduced compared to the second offense fine. So many people see this as a warning, and it motivates them to make better decisions the next time they are faced with the situation.

There are rules and regulations regarding underage drinking everywhere in America, this is not the controversy. Are these rules affective in the attempt to prevent drinking, or not? As one can see, there are mixed emotions regarding underage drinking and the penalties when charged with the offense. 

Some conclude that the strict enforcement of laws when the youth offenders are actually caught will solve the problem; others feel that drinking in college is a part of the culture, and the students should just be educated to make wise decisions and be responsible. Some feel these rules are too harsh and should only be applied in extreme situations not to students who are making responsible decisions, while others feel that the rules are just and punishment is in order. People who rob banks and do other illegal acts are sentenced to punishment, why should people who are illegally drinking not be? There is a common ground somewhere, but it is not only up to the law enforcement and campus policy, but the students and parents as well. When will a reasonable solution be found? Or has it already been found?

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