EDITORIAL & OPINION: Only a temporary measure

Alcohol abuse is a serious problem, but yesterday's steps are only a short-term patch. It bears immediate emphasis that our support for this measure is contingent on its transitional nature. Any long-term policy must differentiate between the use and abuse of alcohol -- between the consumption of alcohol as such and its consumption to excess or by minors -- and allow for drinking in appropriate contexts. However, in keeping with the gravity of recent events and the need for the community as a whole to step back and evaluate its relationship with drinking, the temporary suspension of the policy allowing alcohol to be served at registered undergraduate parties is appropriate. Still, while the action allows all involved to evaluate the efficacy of the structures currently in place to ensure that alcohol is consumed responsibly, we are nevertheless concerned about the implications of suspending that structure. Until registered parties are again allowed to serve alcohol, many students will doubtless turn to off-campus, unregulated venues. Registered parties are by no means perfectly effective in preventing minors and inebriated individuals from drinking, but they remain the most effective means available to ensure the health and safety of students who will inevitably find some way to drink. The value of pausing to consider possible improvements in the enforcement of those regulations is self-evident, as is the necessity of including student leaders in such a dialogue. However, we urge strong caution in the consideration of any additional rules and regulations, as we are not at all convinced of their value. Should some changes to existing policy be deemed appropriate, it is important that the ability of students who are of age to consume alcohol in social settings does not get caught up in attempts to eradicate the abuse of alcohol. It is also important that, in considering these issues, there is a recognition of the fundamental futility of attempting to eradicate excessive drinking through the implementation of rules and regulations. It is a point we cannot overemphasize: the ultimate responsibility for drinking in an appropriate manner rests with the individual student. The issue at hand is not the need for more regulations, but the need for change in the attitudes of the campus community toward the excess consumption of alcohol. Only by taking personal responsibility for themselves and their friends can students ensure that the spectre of an alcohol-related fatality does not revisit this campus. And so, while the administration acted yesterday, the most important group, the student body, will speak with its actions in the long term.