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Dennis Murphy

For the students, by the students

Got liquor? How easy is it for MU minors to access alcohol?
Kellen Fischer, Corner Post Staff

Recently, there has been a rash of arrests and fines in the Columbia area for business owners who have served or sold alcohol to minors. This brings into question just how easy it is for minors in the Columbia area to access alcohol.

"Most bars won't even card you, and the ones that do don't very heavily early in the night," says a College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources junior, who asked to remain anonymous.

When asked if he feared any legal recourse that might occur if he was caught drinking, he responded, "As long as you don't get really drunk and draw attention to yourself, you'll be all right."

Other CAFNR students agree that it's easy to access alcohol, regardless of your age.

Agricultural Systems Management senior and avid alcohol consumer, John Rich relayed story after story of drinking while still a minor, with the main theme being "if you act like your 21 and you look like you're at least 17, you can get inebriated without much fear, just don't act stupid."

Is this type of situation a growing trend? According to Kim Dude, the Director of the University of Missouri Wellness Resource Center, there has not been a very significant reduction in alcohol consumption by minors at MU over the past decade.

"Students will continue to drink as long as alcohol is as accessible and as cheap as it is, it's the cheapest thrill in town," she says.

Dude also recognizes that the efforts the University has put into education and enforcement has paid great dividends in reducing drunk driving and weekday drinking.

"Kids are making smarter choices even if they are still drinking."

The question still remains-Got liquor? At the University of Missouri, the answer is "Yes." Any student that desires alcohol does have access to it, regardless of age. The students who do choose to drink, however, are statistically making smarter choices. This is exemplified by the 17 percent reduction in Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) violations issued by the University of Missouri Police Department from 1999 to 2003.

This weekend, if you choose to pop a top, twist a cap or take a shot, remember to continue the trend of smarter drinking at the University of Missouri.

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