Alcohol abuse among the college population is not a secret. Whether someone is of age is often irrelevant and instead we treat it as a part of our culture. The association we make between college and drinking is as obvious as the association between pumpkins and October. But why is it that consuming alcohol has become a rite of passage in college?

A report published by the State University of New York found that people whose parents served them alcohol as children generally don’t have drinking problems later in life. This practice is popular in Italian, Spanish, Greek, Jewish and Portuguese cultures and they all share three characteristics. 

First, alcohol is seen as a neutral substance. Parents in these countries preach the failure of alcohol to serve as a magic elixir, but don’t refer to it as a prohibited poison either. 

“We need to recognize that it is not alcohol, but rather the abuse of alcohol that is the problem,” said Professor David J. Hanson of the State University of New York. 

In the United States, school alcohol education programs place it in the same boat as illegal drugs and try and scare young children away from it. We all know when you refer to something as prohibited it increases curiosity and increases desire to try it in some people. 

Second, in these cultures, people tend to learn how to drink responsibly in the safety of their homes. From an early age, children are allowed to drink with their parents. This helps children realize that alcohol is completely natural and does not symbolize adulthood. When alcoholic drinks are served as often as water, children view drinking as a normal activity with no special significance. By treating alcohol as insignificant, people are less likely to view college as the gateway to binge drinking. 

Lastly, people in these countries commonly choose to abstain or drink in moderation. 

“Because either drinking in moderation or abstaining are both equally accepted options for adults, we must prepare children for either choice,” Hanson said. 

When parents allow alcohol in the home, their kids have the option to either abstain from drinking or consume in moderation. Hanson calls the prohibition of alcohol irresponsible. Abstinence-oriented education programs and parenting are wasting money and time and teaching moderation is more effective.  

“Either choosing to abstain or to drink responsibly is a real sign of maturity and good judgment,” Hanson said. 

The abuse of alcohol is not socially accepted around the world. The effects of abuse are poor decisions that lead to sometimes fatal consequences and are uniform around the world. Granted a fatal consequence is the extreme, it seems to slip people’s minds after too many unscathed weekends. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 80,000 deaths attributable to alcohol overconsumption per year in the U.S. I don’t think people realize how easily something can go wrong. 

After a forgotten night during my freshman year at Oregon State University, I woke up to learn that a 20-year-old sorority girl was found dead in the Alpha Chi Omega house. This shockwave reverberated throughout campus and gave students a reality check. I am not trying to portray a bad image of sorority girls or the specific sorority — this could have easily happened to anyone.

I don’t believe alcohol should be prohibited at all, but I believe students need to realize they’re not invincible. Also, parents need to stop trouncing alcohol as if it’s a poison because all that does is increase curiosity and the probability that students will abuse it when they get their hands on it. This weekend, try to think twice about that next drink.