Hundreds of Greek men will storm Tigerland’s various bars tonight for boy’s bid day. Crowded with people ranging in age and social cliques each night, Tigerland serves as one of the most dangerous parts of LSU culture.
The neighborhood is plagued with many issues like wandering bar-hoppers coupled with the threat of dangerous drivers. The most irritating part of the entire environment is the majority of the present issues could be combated by one simple idea: Make it harder for minors to purchase alcohol.
It’s illegal for anyone under 21 to drink if not in a private residence with a parent, guardian or spouse. The lack of adults and the flirtatious mannerisms of Tigerland bargoers indicate none of these requirements are met within the confines of Tigerland. Even though underage consumption of alcohol is illegal, it appears to be one of the most laxly enforced laws in Louisiana.
Fake IDs and making friends with those of age help the majority of minors at Tigerland bypass these laws.
But combating these issues is not as difficult as it was in past years. There’s a free iPhone and Android app that can detect an ID’s validity through the phone’s camera. If bouncers added this weapon to their arsenal of brawn, they would be better prepared to fight this formidable form of forgery.
Increasing the number of cops stationed around Tigerland would also help discourage people from making the decision to drink in the first place. The fear imposed by officers would help remind teens they are not untouchable and the law applies to everyone.
If people sporadically chose laws to ignore, we would live in chaos. The fantasies of the Hollywood blockbuster ”The Purge” would become our reality. There are inconsistencies with the weight certain laws hold with various people. Polygamy’s acceptance in Utah may seem foreign to the monogamists of Louisiana, but that does not make Utah’s marital law any less real.
The same issue exists with underaged drinking: Even though the law seems ludicrous to Tigerland attendees, that does not make it legal.
I understand we live in a college town, and underaged drinking can’t be stopped altogether. Drinking will continue to exist in private residences, but at least minors are a bit safer there. The confines of one’s residence offer sanctuary to the intoxicated and the public. Driving home is not required, and there is less contact with other people.
For the intoxicated, invincibility is a common mentality. Ironically, people are most vulnerable while under the influence. According to a study from the National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the amygdala, insula and parahippocampal gyrus are inhibited while under the influence of alcohol.
These parts of the brain are involved in fear and avoidance. Lack of fear spurs dangerous decision making. Laws prohibiting underaged drinking exist not only to promote the safety of the drinker but also to protect the public.
The brain continues developing rapidly from age 21 to 25, and alcohol can inhibit this growth.
For the most part, underaged drinking leads to irresponsible drinking because people are inconsiderate to the repercussions of alcohol.
If we make it harder to consume alcohol in public, we are consequently protecting the drinkers and the general public. Car crashes are the leading cause of deaths for teens, and approximately 1/4 of these crashes involve alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If underage drinkers were more knowledgeable about the effects they could have on their environment, they might think twice about drinking irresponsibly. These laws aren’t present to limit fun but rather to limit harm.
Kain Hingle is a 19-year-old psychology sophomore from Mandeville, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @kain_hingle.