<p>Two recent news stories make me think that college students need to reevaluate what excessive drinking is. </p>
<p>A University of Minnesota-Duluth student may lose her hands and feet after apparently passing out drunk in minus 18 degree temperature. From the story: “One of the men told police she had been drinking, but it wasn’t any more than usual and she didn’t show signs of intoxication. Her friends told police she “wasn’t falling drown drunk.””</p>
<p>The other story is not so tragic. A UW-Madison student ran on to the field during a football game. He doesn’t remember the jumping on to the field (a black out), but in his mind, he wasn’t that intoxicated: “At this point my memory gets foggy. I’m guessing it’s from an adrenaline rush blur because I didn’t honestly drink too much.”</p>
<p>“And then I was encouraged more or less. I’m told that I jumped over the railing where the players come out, adjacent to where the band is. Until I got tackled I don’t remember a thing, that’s what I’m assuming is just an adrenaline rush blur but after I got tackled I remember everything else crystal clear.”</p>
<p>Probably never - “excessive” is a subjective term, and while you can certainly teach them YOUR definition, they are always going to maintain their own definition, based on their experience. One of the reasons I dislike the current alcohol age limit is because it takes time to understand what alcohol does to you, and that learning process can be deadly when it is undertaken with essentially only peer guidance. It is Lord of the Flies but with alcohol. Lower the age limit to 16, so that they are coming home to mom and dad at the end of the party, and I think you will see better results.</p>
<p>Actually, I think the title should be “Humans: skewed perception of what excessive drinking is”, because alcoholism is rampant and it is a disease of denial. They’ve actually shown the brain does not fully mature until the age of 25 (maybe later or earlier for some) but alcohol affects the brain negatively for adolescents in profound ways. Just read this thread on CC from this past year and you will see how many CCers don’t think drinking is a big deal.</p>
<p>Parents are to blame also - they also have a skewed perception. My friend claims her daughter “does not drink” and then tells the story of her being hungover after having 8 shots. Shouldn’t both the parent and kid consider 8 shots a lot?</p>
<p>I would probably have blurted out “Wait-I thought you just said she didn’t drink.” It would have just come out without even thinking about it beforehand. I’d be interested to hear her response to that question.</p>
<p>That reminds me, I met a guy years ago who was a rising force in the Republican party at the state level. He got super drunk at a big fundraiser in a full gym for the then president Ford–who he supported. He stood on a chair and and heckled Ford. That put an end to his involvement in the party, but at least it wasn’t posted on the internet for eternity.</p>