Binge drinking

[KSIGTAZ]

I just read Hootie's response in the "hazing out of control" and have to totally agree. A student "greek pledge" (I don't remember what fraternity) died at a campus very close to mine last semester. He died of alcohol poisoning. I feel deeply for his friends and family. His fraternity is being held responsible and in legal battles. I won't say they were not responsible, I wasn't there. However I know that once again all the press about greek orgs. is once again negative. I know many fraternities and soroties have programs to try and solve these needless accidents. ie Kappa Sigma has My Brothers Keeper. Never do you hear about these programs. It seems to me we can look out for each other but when are we responsible for our own actions? Sorry about the rant. Lastly I don't know about other schools but when the police break up parties (yeah they get a little big at times)
they always tell people to go home or go to jail. So these people who have been drinking get behind the wheel and drive somewhere else. Now who is responsible?

[mgdzkm433]

I agree, when do people become responsible for their own actions? When does it become wrong to point the finger at someone?

[33girl]

Originally posted by mgdzkm433:
I agree, when do people become responsible for their own actions? When does it become wrong to point the finger at someone?

A couple years ago, a student at Pitt (I can't remember if he was in a fraternity or not) went out on his 21st birthday, had 16 shots of whiskey and died. His parents sued the owner of the bar.

Now, I truly sympathize with the parents as they've lost their son forever, and I understand their anger. But let's think about this.

From all accounts I heard, the student never had had a drink before going out on his birthday. This guy had gotten through 3 years of Pitt, which is a fairly difficult school, and was a PRE-MED major. And he's not smart enough to know that someone with no built-up tolerance to alcohol might have a problem handling that amount of hard liquor? Come ON!!!

I was elated to hear President Bush mention "personal responsibility" in his inaugural speech. Some people thought he was referencing Clinton, but I don't - I think he meant it's time to stop blaming society, your fraternity, McDonald's or whoever for your own lack of common sense.

I had a very good time in college, and I definitely tied one on on my 21st. But I would have NEVER thought of drinking 21 shots. I think with the age being 21 everywhere and alcohol being much harder to get than it used to be, people just go wild when it's allowed.

MADD's main reasoning for making the drinking age 21 everywhere was to cut down on drunk driving. I'd like to put the numbers of drunk driving accidents next to the numbers of excessive drinking incidents, and see if the decrease in one has done anything to increase the other.

BTW, the definition of "binge drinking" that is used kills me. For me, it's 4 drinks in a "sitting." How long, exactly, is a sitting? If I go out at 6 and come home at 2, is that a sitting? 1 drink every 2 hours, binging? I don't think so.


[This message has been edited by 33girl (edited January 22, 2001).]

[KSig RC]

As far as the binge drinking 'rules' go, I just don't even know where to begin - four drinks in one sitting (five for males) can be quite a bit for one person, and nothing at all for another (coincidently, most states set the drunk-driving mark at around 5 or 6 beers; i think it's intended for these to be in 2-3 hrs); obviously, the length of the 'sitting' and the individual involved are never accounted for in the majority of the 'campus expose' surveys, which decry binge drinking as the 'new problem' on college campuses (b/c, of course, my parents never drank in college . . . sure, why not?). As the sayings go: figures lie, and liers figure, i suppose . . . it makes it difficult to gauge the problem in a realistic fashion, and certainly does nothing to promote the image of college students in general (not to mention us as greeks . . . ugh).

[KSIGTAZ]

I think that is a great idea that at that idea by that fraternity. At my school we have safe rides. The school sponsers it but students run it. The school gives us a room and IFC helps buy pizzas, a movie rental place kicks down movies. 1 fraternity and 1 sorority volunteer a weekend and ride in pairs picking up students who need rides. The number is 1-800-GO4-CSUS so its totally easy to remember. I know it saved me more than a few times

[mgdzkm433]

33,

I know what you mean about the bartender being blamed. In one hand you have a kid who should know better, took the responsibility to drink (which it is a personal responsibility to yourself that you watch what you drink, etc).

On the other hand, you have a bartender, who is sober, handing a drunk kid shot after shot. There is a little blame there as well--I used to be a bartender, so I know a LOT about the job. Bartenders can be blamed for drinking and driving accidents! The bartender should have known to cut the kid off. On the other hand, the bartender doesn't know the kid's personal tollerance and really why should anyone be responsible for another's stupidity and drunkiness?

You have 2 people at fault here, the the fact remains, the kid decided to go out and get drunk--he took the chance to me, more than half the blame resides on his own shoulders.