According to media reports and not for the first time there is a serious problem of excess drinking among students and i assume among teenagers in general. What puzzles me is where do they get the money in view of the constant reports of financial hardship that pervades the country. I remember when i was young i had no money and withfriends i often spent the evenings just walking the roads to kill the time and perhaps felt much better that the present youth who drink too much.
Students and Drinking
- Thread starter dewdrop
- Start date
Well looking at being 20 years removed from college, I'd say if the media are only just catching up to students drinking to excess, then they should spend less time trying to take pictures of celebrity cellulite and cast their minds back to their own college days.
It always was the case. Young Adults, away from home and the first real taste of responsibility, hardly a surprise. As to the money to afford it, there were always student nights with cheap drink, but then you also had part time jobs just to get extra drinking money. And if that failed, a pleading act to the bank to extend the overdraft because you 'have to buy books'.
The key point is the world didn't when we did it, society didn't crumble, both Sodom and Gomorrah remained in tact. We graduated, got jobs, paid taxes and partied some more, then about five years later slowed down, became more responsible and lamented how the youth of today is a vile disgusting group and how far society has fallen since we were angels without a bean to our name and that summer we walked along the railway tracks because Vern overheard Billy saying Ray Brower's body was in the woods.
Good times.
It always was the case. Young Adults, away from home and the first real taste of responsibility, hardly a surprise. As to the money to afford it, there were always student nights with cheap drink, but then you also had part time jobs just to get extra drinking money. And if that failed, a pleading act to the bank to extend the overdraft because you 'have to buy books'.
The key point is the world didn't when we did it, society didn't crumble, both Sodom and Gomorrah remained in tact. We graduated, got jobs, paid taxes and partied some more, then about five years later slowed down, became more responsible and lamented how the youth of today is a vile disgusting group and how far society has fallen since we were angels without a bean to our name and that summer we walked along the railway tracks because Vern overheard Billy saying Ray Brower's body was in the woods.
Good times.
My own memories of those students who drank were those who were rich, those that drank the grants and those that spend food money on drink.
€5 on a bottle of wine at an off licence is enough to get many of them drunk before they go near the pub !
That is one difference from my day. Would never have touched wine when Buckfast got you there much quicker.
Purchase drink? No no no, you simply remove a bottle of spirits from your parents cabinet, mark the existing level discreetly, take some (not all, rooky error) and replace it with water. The perfect crime....
To continue the thriftyness, you only have to purchase mixers when in the pub. I worked in a bar during my school/college days & I saw groups of youngin's get suspiciously "wasted" on coke/7Up a number of times.
To continue the thriftyness, you only have to purchase mixers when in the pub. I worked in a bar during my school/college days & I saw groups of youngin's get suspiciously "wasted" on coke/7Up a number of times.
In fairness, you do that when at school. When at college, it's only right you buy your own. I mean how else are you supposed to get hold of drink when underage? Grandparents are a better source though, distract them with a jigsaw and Murder She Wrote while you pocket a 4 year out of date can of Guinness.
Listen those weekdays sessions cleaned me out, how else was I to extend the fun to the weekends? It seemed worse to steal from grandparents though?
Alright, before I answer that; how are you on the morality of taking advantage of grandparents with early onset dementia who are easily confused and distracted?
I was in primary school at that stage so I bow to your experience on the subject
Hope ye remembered to bring the comb...
Hello,
What age groups are talking about here, when we talk about students - because in my mind, there needs to be two very different approaches taken, to those studends who are under 18-years and those, over 18-years.
Firstly, with regards to those students who are under 18-years of age, the law needs to be enforced & they need to be stopped from drinking. This can be done through a mix of taking firmer action against those breaking the law - perhaps even extending to imposing community service on offenders.
Right alongside this, the off licences and pubs need to be held far more accountable. There have always been specific bars or off licences which were known to be "easy to get served in" for under age people - everyone knows where they are, in their own locality and action needs to be taken against them. File complaints with the Gardai and insist they go have a word with the publican or off licence owner, as a starting point.
Anyone who lives in Dublin or one of the other cities, no doubt sees hundreds of under age children in the cities on various nights of the week - where are they going, eh' it's not rocket science .... ?
With regards to those over 18-years of age, I have a different view. The USA for example has had massive problems with drugs for years and in part, I blame this on the US's drinking laws. At 20-years of age, it's easier to buy cocain or other drugs in the USA, then it is to buy drink ... whats the greater evil ????
Those over 18-years of age, are legally entitled to drink so all we need to do there, is help educate these young adults to help ensure they don't do any damage, to either themselves or others, or the property of others, as a result of drinking.
One thing I love about the laws relating to drink in this country.... the fact that some of them are not enforced and this will continue to be the case, until we as a population step up and put things right by applying pressure on the law enforcers to do their jobs !
Regards
Mr. Earl.
What age groups are talking about here, when we talk about students - because in my mind, there needs to be two very different approaches taken, to those studends who are under 18-years and those, over 18-years.
Firstly, with regards to those students who are under 18-years of age, the law needs to be enforced & they need to be stopped from drinking. This can be done through a mix of taking firmer action against those breaking the law - perhaps even extending to imposing community service on offenders.
Right alongside this, the off licences and pubs need to be held far more accountable. There have always been specific bars or off licences which were known to be "easy to get served in" for under age people - everyone knows where they are, in their own locality and action needs to be taken against them. File complaints with the Gardai and insist they go have a word with the publican or off licence owner, as a starting point.
Anyone who lives in Dublin or one of the other cities, no doubt sees hundreds of under age children in the cities on various nights of the week - where are they going, eh' it's not rocket science .... ?
With regards to those over 18-years of age, I have a different view. The USA for example has had massive problems with drugs for years and in part, I blame this on the US's drinking laws. At 20-years of age, it's easier to buy cocain or other drugs in the USA, then it is to buy drink ... whats the greater evil ????
Those over 18-years of age, are legally entitled to drink so all we need to do there, is help educate these young adults to help ensure they don't do any damage, to either themselves or others, or the property of others, as a result of drinking.
One thing I love about the laws relating to drink in this country.... the fact that some of them are not enforced and this will continue to be the case, until we as a population step up and put things right by applying pressure on the law enforcers to do their jobs !
Regards
Mr. Earl.
I'm not going to lie, my inner 17 year old adolescent morals are easily broken.
A can of budweiser costs €1 these days.
Taking inflation into account, that would be comparable to cans for 50p when I was in college about 15 years ago.
If cans were to be got for 50p there would have been carnage!
When I was serving my apprenticeship I got paid each week so I'd lots of money for drink!