Alcohol 101

William Moyers

Oops. I blew it.

In last week's column, I offered my own experiences as a binge-drinking college student decades ago as an argument against lowering the legal drinking age to 18 from 21. It turns out I did not go far enough in making my case, at least not with some interested readers.

Dear Mr. Moyers: We are a group of college students concerned with the use of alcohol at our campus. Don't jump to any conclusions, though. We're NOT all on the same page in this contentious issue. Some of us believe that only 21-year-olds should have the right to drink, that there is an epidemic of drinking already here and on other campuses that only will get worse if more people can get drunk legally. But others among us believe that if you're old enough to go to Iraq or Afghanistan, you're old enough to drink. A civilized conversation is what we seek. But you only offered an emotional, personal perspective. Please give us accurate information that's not just based on what happened to you. This is much more than just a black-and-white, 21-vs.-18 issue. It's also about what the academic institutions must do to deal with the problem. Don't lay it all on us, the students. — Lizzy S., University of Texas at Austin.

Dear Lizzy: You're right. The solution is not simply in offering my personal experiences with drinking way back when. What happened to me in becoming an alcoholic was the result of the experiences I had drinking in college, among other places. But not everyone ends up like me. In fact, the majority of college students who use alcohol do so responsibly or learn a hard lesson or two after abusing it and change their behavior before it's too late. Indeed, it is up to the college and university administrations to take a decisive, proactive approach before things get out of hand. Personal responsibility and institutional accountability go hand in hand, no matter the legal age.

Dr. Ron Hunsicker, the executive director of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, has written an open letter to the 100 or so college presidents who have come out as a group in favor of allowing 18-year-olds to drink legally again. According to Hunsicker, "It is up to these academic leaders to go back to the drawing board to use their influence, power and platform to reframe the discussion. A debate about prohibition vs. non-prohibition is the wrong issue."

Instead, Hunsicker says, the larger focus should be on how to respond to the use and abuse of alcohol by students and the alcoholism that ends up afflicting about 10 percent of society, no matter their ages. And he has urged the 100 presidents to endorse these key points in the ongoing debate:

—Alcoholism is a primary progressive chronic disease that can be addressed through professional treatment and lifelong management of the disease.

—Every enrolled college and university student will be required to take a course taught by a certified addiction professional on the issues of and treatment for alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

—Every college and university will commit itself to having available and accessible services for students needing assessment and treatment referrals for alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

—Every college and university will support and ensure that there are 12-step meetings available on campus and that every student has access to the list of meetings and times of meetings.

—All colleges and universities supporting a reduction in the drinking age will issue zero-tolerance policies for alcohol abuse on their campuses and at all events sponsored by their institutions.

—Use this debate to develop policies and to issue statements on the many hidden issues associated with alcohol abuse, such as date rape, bullying, intimidation and irresponsible public behavior.

I agree with Hunsicker and with Lizzy at UT. It is time to start teaching everyone on college campuses about the power of alcohol and what to do to help people in its grip.

William C. Moyers is the vice president of external affairs for the Hazelden Foundation and the author of "Broken," a best-selling memoir. The paperback edition was released in August 2007. Please send your questions to William Moyers at William@WilliamMoyers.com. To find out more about William Moyers and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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