by Emily Mosier
Twenty-year-old Juliette Anderson* once got so drunk at a party that she submerged her head in a classmate’s fish tank, trying to eat the beta fish as a joke. Anderson, who was a former Troy University student, is like many college students who have struggled with excessive underage drinking.
“Nine times out of 10, my freshman year, I wasn’t showing up for class,” Anderson said. “I was in this really deadbeat cycle where if I didn’t do crap with my day from being hungover, I thought I might as well go back and drink some more.”
Anderson, 21-year-old Alice Smith* and 20-year-old Noah Lopez * all said they know at least one student who owns a fake ID, but that it is not always needed to get alcohol. All three agreed that if a student wanted to drink illegally in Troy, they could easily do so.
There are two popular bars in Troy – The Front Porch and The Double Branch Lounge. The Tropolitan has spoken to more than 20 students, including Anderson and Smith, who both claim they have been served alcohol in those establishments while underage. The two women say this contributes to a culture of underage drinking among Troy students.
The Tropolitan attempted to schedule an interview with the owners of the bars mentioned in this story with no response from the Front Porch. The Double Branch agreed to schedule an interview but never did. The Tropolitan’s first request was last spring.
While it is legal for anyone 19 and older to enter establishments such as the Double Branch Lounge and Front Porch, it is illegal for any business to knowingly sell or give alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. And, it could potentially be dangerous.
According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS), Alabama has the third-highest rate in the U.S. of underage deaths related to excessive alcohol use. Undergraduate students are particularly at risk according to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which found that nearly half of college-aged students consume alcohol in any given month, with 27 percent of those students binge drinking.
A member of the Tropolitan staff who is underage visited the Double Branch as part of research for this story. A female bar employee checked the staff member’s ID and placed an “X” on her hand, indicating the student was not old enough to legally purchase and consume alcohol. Despite that, the bartender asked the underage student if she would like to buy a drink. The student declined.
Smith said she doesn’t mind the lax adherence to underage drinking laws, though.
“This is probably one of the last times in our lives that it’s socially acceptable to get regularly obliterated,” Smith said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking advantage of that.”
Troy University lecturer Joy Butler teaches a class called Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (NSG-3334), a course that covers the repercussions of alcohol use. She said that chronic drinking can have severe adverse effects on physical, mental and social health.
“Socially, there are ripple effects on your family, your finances, being able to work, and it affects your relationships – especially if it turns into an addiction,” Butler said. “You never know if you’re going to get addicted.”
The Mayo Clinic defines alcohol abuse disorder (AUD) as a pattern of drinking that is hard to control and continues regardless of problems or health concerns. About 13 percent of undergraduate college students meet the criteria for AUD, according to NSDUH.
“One of the first times I ever partied in college, I drank whiskey and drank way too much,” Smith said. “I woke up throwing up the next day and had to call out of work.”
“Usually, I’m in a social setting, but when I do drink alone, I’m sad, and I’ve even harmed myself while drinking alone,” Anderson said. “Some of my close friends, every single time they go out, they feel like they have to get drunk or have to drink enough where they’re definitely not their normal selves.”
Lopez said he drinks about twice a month.
“Dealing with finding yourself, finding friends, and difficult classes can lead to stress, and stress is the main reason why I drink,” Lopez said. “I just want to have fun.”
Smith and Lopez both said students who go to a party or bar should expect peer pressure to drink, so it’s important to set limits and priorities.
“I think college students should know when enough is enough,” Lopez said. “So many students get hurt due to drinking, and with partying, a lot of students choose to have fun over their academics.”
Butler said if a student begins to go through withdrawal (shaky hands, headache, nausea, vomiting), or experiences alcohol poisoning symptoms (confusion, blue or pale skin, hypothermia, unconsciousness, seizures), they should seek medical attention immediately. She encourages students who have a hard time controlling their drinking habits to make an appointment with Troy University’s free counseling services.
*The names of Troy University students who have disclosed personal information about their drinking habits have been replaced with pseudonyms.