Written by Paulina Ukrainets
Last week, an article titled, “Do Children in France Have a Healthier Relationship with Alcohol?” appeared on the “Well” blog of The New York Times. Maybe this is presumptuous of me, but I’m assuming the answer to this question is evident to anybody who has spent time on a college campus in the U.S., or perhaps in the U.S. in general. The article talked about the fact that children are influenced early on by the customs they observe surrounding drinking, and the way these observations influence their own drinking habits later in life. Turns out, binge drinking on college campuses in France—as well as all across Europe—is considerably lower than the rates of binge drinking in the U.S.; honestly, I am not surprised.
Growing up in England, I was definitely exposed to alcohol much earlier than a lot of my American peers—the first time I got blackout drunk was in eighth grade, but the last time I had that experience was in sophomore year of high school. Since alcohol is more easily accessible at an earlier age, European teenagers start drinking much earlier, but also seem to kick any destructive (and fairly embarrassing) drinking habits much earlier too. I had heard a lot about the college binge drinking culture in the U.S., but until I came to CC, I did not realize how unhealthy a lot of people’s drinking habits actually are.
Since I was a kid, my parents have, both overtly and not, exposed me to the culture of drinking, like what wines to drink with specific dishes, or why the year of a wine makes a difference. Pretty soon after, drinking became a social activity: the craving for the effect of alcohol evolved into a craving for its taste.
When I go home, my social activities that involve alcohol are things like ale-tasting festivals, going to the pub, or bar hopping—not to get drunk (or at least, not to just get drunk), but to experience different taste sensations. Although I have not been at CC long, (I am hoping this experience of drinking evolves with age) the drinking culture that I have observed my first semester here has followed the scenario of people shotgunning 10 beers in 10 minutes, or playing an obscene amount of drinking games that are much more about the drinking than the games.
I don’t mean to shame CC’s drinking culture completely—at many other colleges that I have visited, binge drinking seemed like a much bigger issue. Still, I have often seen and heard of people drinking to forget their anxieties, dismiss responsibilities, and just generally feel “happier.” In terms of attitude towards drinking, America, you’ve got a lot to learn from Europe.