An alarming number of 21-year-olds are participating in a dangerous practice of consuming 21 alcoholic beverages to celebrate reaching legal drinking age, according to a new report by researchers at the University of Missouri.That is LETHAL. As in: DEAD. As in" Please give this some thought. Scary. Not to mention all those unintended consequences, like DWI, Jail, Hospitals, that nasty rash that won't go away...
More than a third of men and a quarter of women surveyed at the university who drank alcohol the day they turned 21 reported consuming at least that many drinks of beer, wine and liquor, researchers reported in an article scheduled for publication in the June issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
"We were floored," said Patricia Rutledge, lead author of the report. "I still can't believe it even though I've seen it because it's so dangerous."
[...]
Scott Walters, an assistant professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health who researches the topic, said drinking excessively for one's 21st birthday is not as common as some students believe.
"There is this lore among a lot of college students who think that's the normal practice," Walters said.
Some students likely overestimate how much they drink, he said. For example, some may have counted half-shots as full shots, he said.
"Twenty-one drinks is a lot of drinks," Walters said. "Physically, that would be impossible for a lot of people, or if they did consume that, it would put them well within the lethal range."
Study: Many celebrate 21st birthday with 21 drinks | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
