Eissler created the bill to prevent those turning 21 from heading to bars at midnight and chugging until 2 a.m. when bars in Texas (and, incidentally, Massachusetts) close, according to The Chronicle.
Eissler hopes the extended waiting period will reduce 21st birthday binge drinking and consequent alcohol-related deaths or injuries. "The intent is to take away that narrow window they usually have to get all their drinking in," Eissler said in The Chronicle. "Instead of trying to beat the clock, they have a much fuller day to celebrate."
The bill comes in response to the death of Michael Wagner, a student at the University of Texas at Austin who passed out and never woke up after drinking approximately nine four-ounce shots on his 21st birthday. Eissler formulated the bill after learning of the incident and speaking to Wagner's mother. While Wagner's story is tragic, the frequency of 21st-birthday deaths resulting from alcohol intake is unknown.
Eissler acknowledged criticism of his bill and admitted that his own son, a 22-year old student at Austin, called the legislation a "stupid idea," according to The Chronicle. However, Eissler says there are benefits even if the bill is not passed. "It's a creative response, and I think it's worth trying," he said in The Chronicle. "Just the complaints about this rule have been getting a lot of airtime, so maybe when people think about this jerk Eissler trying to take away their drinking time, they'll actually bother to learn about alcohol poisoning."
Those who oppose the proposition maintain that the issue of alcohol-related injuries is too broad to be tackled by such a specific proposal. Critics also note that many alcohol-related deaths are often the result of underage drinking on college campuses, not at bars.
While many students at the College agreed with the bill's logic, they felt the bill would ultimately prove ineffective in practice. "I feel it's worth trying if statistical data show a high death rate from intoxication on birthdays. Maybe it's just postponing the death by one day," said Qingsi Zhu '08, who is 21. "I personally feel the proposal is harmless but useless."
However, drinking somewhere other than a bar is not always a safer alternative. Bars actually prove a safer place to drink than in a private setting, particularly when celebrating one's 21st-birthday, Darron Henson, a 22-year old senior at Austin, told The Chronicle. "Bartenders here in Austin are fined and policed very heavily, so they really do look out for the customer's best interest," he said, noting that bartenders have been known to refuse service to inebriated 21st birthday celebrators.
Derek Cash '06, who works for ACEMS, agreed that there are clear advantages to celebrating in a bar. "As a runner for ACEMS, I feel that forcing people to wait and do all their drinking the next day in the bars would make an EMT's or first responder's job easier," he said. "This is because by making it so people are more likely to get drunk in a bar than at home the calls that we would be responding to would be in places where there are lots of bystanders or witnesses and potential helpers ... rather than responding to individuals' homes."
Some students maintained that the Federal age restriction on drinking is what causes alcohol-related deaths among teenagers in the first place. "In addition, I think the age limit is stupid to begin with since that's what causes the binge drinking," said Lucy Frye '07. "In cultures where there is no age limit, alcohol is just seen as another drink to have a little of, not something to abuse because it's forbidden."
Tomoyoshi Maehira '05 emphasized the individual's personal duty to drink responsibly. "If you die from drinking, it is your responsibility," he said.
Kristin Boyd '05 does not believe that the proposal would affect the number of alcohol-related deaths among 21-year olds on their birthday night. "I think people would still drink the same amount, even if they had to delay it a day," she said. "They're still going to want to go out and party because it's their 21st birthday."
Anoop Menon '07 agreed, adding that the legislation may be excessive. "Even though we are supposed to become 'mature' enough by the time we are 21, the fact that there are so many binge drinking-related accidents kind of questions that supposition," he said. "But, then again, it is kind of harsh not to let someone have a little fun on a long-awaited day."