Drinking Alcohol in the USA

[Patroclus]

We had a chapel speaker this last week at the little private Christian school at which I teach. He broached the topic of drinking alcohol, which is really touchy at this school for a number of reasons, but two reasons especially:

1. The school is sponsored by the Assemblies of God, which still holds that drinking alcohol is a sin :no:

2. This year we have had a big problem with underage drinking, and in one case, it lead to the termination of a teacher.

Anyway, the thesis of this guy's discussion is, "Drinking alcohol is not a sin, but it is unwise in America, because Americans do not know how to drink." I agree. This American culture produces ads that tend to value quantity and a loose experience over taste and culture. A bilboard for Bud Light near my house has a picture of a bottle of Bud, flanked by a scantily clad woman, and a woman unbottoning the shirt of a guy. The hook is "It's all here." This is a far cry from the Guiness commercial: "It's worth the wait."

Anyway, I saw this article today, and I wondered about your thoughts on the issue.



College hosts wine and beer soirees
Friday, March 25, 2005 Posted: 11:05 AM EST (1605 GMT)


WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) -- Josh Kahn swirls the ruby-red wine in his wineglass, puts it up to his nose and breathes in deeply. He watches how the 2002 Fairview shiraz from South Africa clings to the inside of the glass, then takes a sip.

This is not a tasting at a wine shop. This is Colby College, a private liberal arts school where students 21 and older get together on Friday nights in a school cafeteria to learn about and drink beer and wine.

The get-togethers are intended to teach students how to imbibe well and in moderation. The emphasis is on savoring, not swilling.

:pat:

[Minnesota]

The American culture is far from the only one that has a problem with alcohol abuse or substance abuse. American alcohol dealers, distributers, and manufactures advertise heavely because they can and it's profitable. But, considering the stats listed below, they aren't even close to doing the job that's being done overseas.

Myth
People in the US are generally heavy consumers of alcohol.

Fact
The US isn't even among the top ten alcohol consuming countries. Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries on per capita Basis Country / Consumption in Gallons of absolute or pure alcohol: At a consumption rate of only 1.74 per person, the US falls far down at 32nd on the list.

Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries

1. Portugal 2.98
2. Luxembourg 2.95
3. France 2.87
4. Hungary 2.66
5. Spain 2.66
6. Czech Republic 2.64
7. Denmark 2.61
8. Germany 2.50
9. Austria 2.50
10. Switzerland 2.43


Myth
The US has very lenient underage drinking laws.

Fact
The US has the most strict youth drinking laws in the Western world, including the highest minimum drinking age in the entire world. And this is buttressed by a public policy of Zero Tolerance.

SOURCE and MORE (http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol-info/AlcoholFactsAndFiction.html)

[BeHereNow]

Reading this thread makes me want a beer.

I suppose it would be generally correct to call drinking unwise for college-aged students, as they tend to overdo it. It would be nice to see that beer and wine tasting group replicated in other colleges.

[luv1another]

over in Australia our legal age for everything is 18... so we have kids 18 in pubs drinking getting drunk and then driving with their 1 year old drivers liscence they can get a Probationary liscence at 17 and it comes off at 18. we end up with a lot of road deaths between young people drinking and driving and speeding.

I think that drinking or non drinking does not need to be taught in schools, I think by that time it's too late a lot of times... it needs to be learnt in the home.
if a kids grows up with parents that drink all the time they drink a lot more.
that being said I think most kids no matter how much input on how bad it is will try getting drunk and drinking. over here it's kinda viewed by teens as the cool grown up thing to do... if the image of it being cool could be broken I think it's much more likely to have less people wanting to drink to the point of being drunk.

anyway I think as long as it's portrayed as cool and grown up and a way to attract the opposite sex it's going to be a problem. no matter how much teaching is done or adds to the contrary are put up.

hope that kinda makes sense I was doing a few things at once :lol:

[Patroclus]

Actually, Minn, after chapel, my students were talking to me about it (one of their assignments was to analyze his rhetoric), and I pointed out most of what you cited. That does not mean, however, that it is wise to drink in the USA, just because other countries have such a big problem with it.

My experience is that a lot of kids are raised with an unhealthy fear or taste for alcohol. There is very seldom any middle ground, and I think that is one of the big problems. It is the proverbial cookie jar before dinner.

:pat:

[Xavier]

My experience is that a lot of kids are raised with an unhealthy fear or taste for alcohol. There is very seldom any middle ground[...]

First things, I would like to raise my hand and say that my family raised me on the middle ground. I think the reasoning for this is simple. My parents don't drink on any regular basis. They also don't make a big deal out of this fact. They have a bottle of wine maybe 4 times a year (give or take). We have liquor for cocktales in an open cabinet in our formal dining room. I suppose the middle ground in our family comes from the fact that my Dad's side is extremely French and culturally wine is just part of dinner. My Mom's side has a history of alcoholism. So, the social dynamics of the family kind of balance things out.

On to the thread issue, I was chatting with my youth pastor a while back on this very issue. I think that we both agreed that the problems of college drinking are largely culturally based. American society EXPECTS their college students to drink (especially binge drink). The underlying problem is one that is not easily addressed. I personally think that the temporary solution lies in offering alternatives. If I (for example) have something to do on Friday nights, I don't have idle time for drinking.

One of the things that I find counterproductive on campuses (in the South especially) is that the Administration expects you to drink as well. To the point that they offer various form of transportation to and from social spots around campus. Our night bus service is sponsored by Budweiser. Hrmn, wonder why THAT might be... I can understand this from a safety standpoint and I don't think that its a bad idea intrinically. However, the schools I've been to have this as their main response to alcohol in the hands of college students.

Anywho, my two cents... FWIW, I attend Clemson University in South Carolina. We are a wet campus (the student union runs a bar in the student center). However, the blue laws here are fairly strict. No alcohol on Sundays. All other days from like 1pm(?) to midnight.

Yours,
Xavier

[jason]

over here it's kinda viewed by teens as the cool grown up thing to do...
You mean it isn't cool to drink to much and then vomit all over your date ?

But I saw the ad, That was the clear message. Drink, Drunk, the difference is U. Thats right !

And besides ever the bible says getting drunk is the right way to deal with your problems.

Proverbs 31:6

Give beer to those in anguish.

See even God thinks, along with teens the world over, that drinking is cool.

Jason

[Patroclus]

Xavier, I am not sure that offering alternatives to drinking is the answer either. There are alwasy alternatives to drinking. If it is a cultural problem, giving a person something else to do while his friends go drinking is going to encourage that person to drink with his friends. I think it is a problem of hegemony. Our parents and teachers tell us that drinking alcohol is bad, but the TV teaches us that it is a great way to get laid. This is a recipe for rebellion, which teenagers have mastered.

My question is if there is a way to avoid giving the kids something to rebell against.