Someone once told me that you're not an alcoholic until you graduate. We heard this and laughed while binge drinking over the weekend on a rooftop bar, sipping our fruity cocktails and thinking nothing of it. I guess that's the beauty of the phrase, right? We can enjoy the irony as we attempt to destroy our livers, following what we presume is what we are supposed to do as students. Down it, fresher! I can't say that I'm not guilty in this cycle of drinking. Hell, I make my own wine in my closet and am sipping a gin and lemonade as I write this. I'm not as heavy of a drinker as I used to be, partially due to money and a higher standard of alcohol, but also due to working in the morning. I do have a beer everyone once and a while when dragged out to a social event, but not at the levels my peers were chugging back tequila shots faster than their stomachs could bring it back up. It's not fun being the most sober person in the room, and maybe that's a reason why we do it, in silent competition with one another. Or we know that the most sober of us is the one who has to take care of the most drunk one and spends their night in the hospital as their friend gets their stomach pumped. On the other hand, maybe it's the ever-depreciating mental state of the country's youth. I remember living with several other STEM students my first year at university, and when I was stress crying in my room, questioning my ability to carry on, I was told to drink. I liked the way it felt, just enough to calm me down. Relax, enjoy a glass of wine (preferably with a bath and a good book) and breathe. But my fellow students can't go a day without drinking something. Chugging cider after cider, shot after shot. Doesn't matter the day, or the plans for tomorrow. It's about living in the now. I always joke about being an alcoholic when people see my beer fridge in my room, but the number of cans rarely change. I know a girl who pours 10 shots or more in her drink, or as she puts it "until I can taste it," and assumes its four. I think it comes down to the culture, which is probably where the saying comes from. University students drink and study. We're young, we don't get hangovers. But I find it really sad. I'm not against drinking, but I am when you get to the point where you're belligerent and blackout. Moderation is key, but I fear many of us won't get to that point. Have fun in university, enjoy hanging out with friends. This is the only time your life will be like this. I just can't help but feel sorry for the girl who'd rather spend hundreds of dollars on cheap booze than more than $30 a month on food. The girl who talks constantly about wanting to travel, but would rather have that $50 case of beer every week. But hey, it's only alcoholism if we're graduated.

Drinking is a serious topic that people deal with on a day to day basis. At some points it can mean life or death due to the choices it allows people to unfold, but should 19 be the age that it's appropriate and considered acceptable to drink? I disagree; it should be lowered to high school ages for a multitude of reasons. Teenagers are drinking illegally anyway, they're exposed to it everywhere they go, and it can open up many new opportunities for them. Perhaps allowing younger adolescents to drink we can find solutions to problems that occur daily. According to Teen Challenge "83% of grade 12 students in Ontario have admitted to consuming alcohol.  49% binge drink at the ages of 17-18", most of which confess their first intoxication "was at the age of 14". If by these young ages adolescents have already consumed this depressant why have we not done anything about it? Mostly because adults are unaware, due solely to the fact that it is an illegal substance for this age. Moreover this could create a dangerous environment for all; a child with a g2 licence may drive home rather than make the phone call to a parent just to avoid getting in trouble. Having a lower drinking age could allow a young person to arrive home safe without the self-regret of breaking a law on their shoulder. This discussion leaves people wondering why children are drinking at such a young age. This is because of exposure, in music videos, television shows, YouTube videos, etc. We constantly see the drunken characters that are used for comic relief that everyone loves like Homer Simpson, from The Simpson's or the guys from FRIENDS enjoying a beer. From the mind of a teenager they want to be cool like the people they watch, but it doesn't stop there.  They hear older sibling and friends telling funny drunken stories, yet are never being made aware of the downsides of consuming the product. Maybe younger drinking age will give parents a chance to talk more in depth about how it affects us, and what to look out for rather than waiting for a child to experience it themselves. Lastly, the drinking world can open up an entire new set of social settings that can be explored. This could be beneficial to students who struggle with anxiety and other social paranoia's, allowing them to use the depressant to relax themselves and step out of their comfort zones. Many teens sneak into bars to examine the environment and to test themselves, like going to karaoke, or open mic nights which are usually off limits to people their age. Being social is an important part of growing up because it is a life skill that is used everywhere from ordering food to asking directions. To conclude, 19 should not be the legal drinking age in Canada in fact it should be lowered. Rather than shaming students for drinking at ages 14+ we should be helping them understand all the risks and giving our attention to ensuring they consume alcohol safely. Exposing them to all the aspects of the substance and give them a chance to develop their character. Drinking doesn't have to be dangerous and if earlier exposure and consumption could be monitored by lowing the legal age I believe that the effects can have a firm positive impact. "Alcohol Abuse Facts." Alcohol Abuse Facts - Teen Challenge Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2017. http://www.teenchallenge.ca/get-help/educational-resources/alcohol-abuse-facts>.