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When a lot of us are making mention of kids now and kids before, there are quite a few things that are different and make the comparison difficult if not impossible. Many states did not raise the legal drinking age to 21 until the late 1980s (or 1990s if you're Louisiana with Frenchy Napoleonic Laws) so the parents of kids these days could often drink at 18 when they entered college. Perhaps some of that attitude or behavior has crossed the generation, and we all know of parents who are now held liable or responsible for buying alcohol for their minor children & children's friends. I know my parents were able to drink wine and beer before 21, but hard alcohol was 21+ and that state still has strange liquor laws, and many other states have those as well (Kevin, I'm looking at you and your warm beer for sale).
The change in the 1960s and 1970s is partially related to the large population of young people, the Vietnam War and the draft, and also the 26th Amendment changing voting from 21 to 18. Drinking and driving, hell seat belts, weren't prevalent like now, and people lived in areas where they didn't rely upon, nor own cars like now. Colleges were still allowed a vast amount of in loco parentis and women were often locked in at night.
It is now a different time and era, and sure, kids still do dumb stuff, but we hear about it a lot faster due to technology and the 24 hour news cycle. Self publication with social media gets it out there as well, and it is much harder for someone to have their parents (or others) sweep something under the rug. It is a lot easier to get caught when mug shots are online, the court record is online and searchable, and people put it on facebook with a quickness.
The method I have found useful with collegians and undergraduates is making the legal, economic, and long term ramifications of being caught for their actions clear. They can't say "I didn't know" or "no one told me" when it hits the fan. Criminal issues regarding drugs and alcohol can prevent them from holding jobs, Greek membership, living on campus, financial aid, driving privileges, being in school, and cost an obscene amount economically and emotionally. I've found that putting it in black and white has deterred some, some just don't get it, and others are hard cases who need to learn a lesson and perhaps need a treatment program.
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