New Research Shows Rise in Turning 21 Drinking Ritual

A new study highlighted in a recent issue of the New York Times found that a dangerous drinking ritual, commonly known as the "power hour," where a young person drinks 21 shots of alcohol in a short period of time to celebrate their 21st birthday, is on the rise among young people.

Researchers at the University of Missouri studied the drinking behaviors of 2,518 over four years. Among those students who drank alcohol to celebrate their 21st birthdays, 34 percent of the men and 24 percent of the women reported consuming 21 or more drinks, according to the research to be published in The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The report is believed to be the largest study of the drinking ritual, which often involves shots of alcohol.

According to the New York Times article, based on that data researchers estimated that half of the men and more than a third of the women who drank on their 21st birthdays experienced blood alcohol levels of 0.26 or higher, the level at which a person is severely impaired and at risk for choking on vomit or suffering serious injury.

The issue hit close to home for the Safe Communities Coalition of the Red River Valley in Fargo, N.D. The 21st birthday drinking ritual has resulted in several tragedies in Fargo, including deaths. As a result, the coalition began a number of efforts to address this issue, including conducting outreach to bar owners during liquor license renewal meetings, where they educate them about the dangers of power hours.

“We remind them that it is in violation of every local law and their establishments could be prosecuted for it. We also provide them with tools, such as signs, to deter bar patrons from participating in power hours,” Coalition Coordinator Robyn Litke told Coalitions Online in a previous article. The group’s efforts to increase awareness of this problem led to statewide legislation abolishing power hours and requiring that bars in North Dakota close at 1 a.m.

Experts at the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention say there are a number of strategies that community coalitions can do to reduce high risk drinking among youth.

In Strategizer 34: Working in Partnership with Local Colleges and Universities, a CADCA publication, the Higher Education Center recommends that following strategies:

• Partner with local universities to form campus community coalitions.
• Change local zoning ordinances to reduce the density of alcohol sales outlets and to reform sales and marketing practices.
• Launch a community-wide training and enforcement program for responsible beverage service.
• Restrict marketing and promotion of alcoholic beverages both on and off campus.
• Limit number of servings per alcohol sale.
• Limit alcohol availability both on and off campus.
• Develop campus policies to prevent high-risk drinking

CADCA’s publication, Strategizer 34: Working in Partnership with Local Colleges and Universities, is available here and at www.cadca.org under the “Publications” section.