By Joel Dahlhauser
ETSU student Ashley McCohn enjoys going out with friends for drinks, alcoholic drinks to be precise.
Looking back on her sophomore year McCohn recalls one night of drinking she will never forget – the night she was stopped by a police officer and charged with underage consumption.
At a well-known campus bar, a street sign suggests “Great Food & Spirits.” Students like McCohn, 20, are not legally allowed to consume alcohol in the bar, although patrons 18 and older are allowed to enter. By checking identification and marking underage customers hands with large X’s, denoting them as illegal to drink, local bars operate in accordance with law.
McCohn points out that bars take active measures to prevent underage drinking, but due to overcrowding they cannot monitor everyone who consumes alcohol underage.
James Gibbs, a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at ETSU, reflected on over 20 trips he made to local drinking establishments before his 21st birthday.
“As long as you can get in the door, you just need someone who is 21 to get a drink,” he said. “There’s no problem getting a drink if you’re under 21, but how you act depends on how long you keep it.”
Academics and alcohol continue to have an integrated relationship at the college level. It is important for students who consume alcohol underage to be aware of the policies and consequences regarding underage consumption. Before making a decision that could adversely affect their lives students should be aware of the risks.
ETSU has been a drug-free campus since the enactment of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. The drug-free campus policy can be defined in the Student Handbook.
In general, the policy states that the use of alcohol and drugs is strictly prohibited on campus. Students may be subjected to a variety of legal and school sanctions depending on the severity of the violation.
According to research findings by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, underage drinking is considerably widespread and is associated with risky sexual behavior, physical and sexual assaults, deleterious effects on the brain, problems in school or work, legal troubles, and various types of injuries stemming from car crashes, homicide, suicide, and alcohol poisoning.
McCohn would leave a local bar by car on that memorable night her sophomore year. Little did she know she would soon encounter police Officer Crystal Heishman. After failing to make a complete stop at a stop sign, McCohn was pulled over in front of Lucille Clement Hall.
McCohn was asked to step out of her car to perform a number of field sobriety tests. Upon completion of the field sobriety tests McCohn was deemed to have consumed alcohol underage, but was not considered drunk enough to be charged with driving under the influence. Thus, she was charged with underage consumption.
Cases like McCohn’s are not uncommon at ETSU. According to information released by the campus Department of Public Safety, underage consumption charges totaled 68 in 2007 and currently total 55 as of Nov. 16, 2008. Charges of public intoxication totaled 10 in 2007, and have increased to 23 as of Nov. 16, 2008. These numbers suggest that students are drinking despite laws and school policies in place.
“No matter how many rules they make people will still find ways to get around them,” said ETSU freshman Emily Dosher, 18.
Gov. Phil Bredesen recently signed a bill that will make underage drinking more of a family issue. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act has been in effect since the beginning of the academic year and aims to improve relations between universities and students’ parents. The bill requires ETSU to contact parents of students under 21 who violate substance abuse policies.
“It’s not my parents’ business; they don’t need to be involved,” said McCohn in response to the new legislation.
After being charged with underage consumption McCohn was required to appear in court. There she was assessed a $250 fine and required to attend a four-week alcohol intervention program.
In addition, McCohn was required to write a paper for the Associate Dean of Students, Dr. Joe Sherlin, which encompassed what she had learned from her behavior.
ETSU offers substance abuse educational programs, designed to support the campus community by providing information related to alcohol awareness. Contact the university-counseling center for referral of services at 439-4841.
Students and alcohol
Surveyed: 35,634 full-time college students
When: Between 2002 and 2005
Findings:
• 57.8 percent had engaged in alcohol use in the past month.
• 40.1 percent of those students engaged in binge alcohol use.
• 16.6 percent of those students engaged in heavy alcohol use.
Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health
