21st Birthdays: Celebrants Drink More Than Planned

In the United States. the 21st birthday is the great milestone into adulthood. It is a very important day for young adults, because they are able to legally drink alcohol. With many young adults turning 21 away at school, out from under a parent’s watchful eye, the party can get crazy.

A new study says that the young people turning 21 might need more guidance, before they become a legal drinker, in how to moderate the amount of alcohol they consume. Released in May, the study explains that many of those celebrating their 21st birthday consume more alcohol than planned.

The researchers recruited 150 individuals attending a southwestern university. The students reported that they planned to drink for their 21st birthday, but they consumed more than they had anticipated.

More than two-thirds, or 68 percent, of the individuals turning 21 consumed more alcohol than they had planned. Those who underestimated their drinking had anticipated drinking an average of 7 drinks at their birthday celebration. They consumed, on average, 12 drinks at their party.

The researchers discovered that students who consumed more alcohol than they planned were more likely to drink faster and to drink more shots than those who were accurate in their estimates for alcohol consumption. 55 percent of the students studied reported that they had consumed free shots in bars.

Students who drank more than they had planned were also more likely to have participated in 21st birthday party games. The students often were celebrating in bars where popular 21st birthday traditions included games like drinking 21 shots or drinking at midnight. These parties were also more likely to include influential peers who encouraged the individual turning 21 to drink.
This type of party atmosphere is popular among college students turning 21. Overall, 60 percent of the birthday parties involved one or more 21st birthday drinking traditions, and 61 percent of the parties had one or more influential peers present.
With so many college students choosing to participate in these types of birthday celebrations, it may be helpful to target students with education about how to prevent underestimating the amount of alcohol they will consume on their birthdays.

Strategies can be taught for students to know how to avoid being pressured to drink too much alcohol on their 21st birthdays. They may be caught in an embarrassing situation if they resist the efforts of their friends to have a memorable 21st birthday.