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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1998)
NEWSROOM: (541)346-5511 E-MAIL ode@ Oregon uoregon.edu ON-LINE EDITION: www.uoregonedu',--ode 0regoiflr€meraU» EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Frank EDITORIAL EDITOR Kameron Cole liquor, beer no longer in the clear Even with the zero-toler ance police crackdown, minors still have the abil ity to get the goods they want. And this is not limiting it to alcohol. In Eugene it is easier for a minor to get drugs than it is to get beer or liquor. Not to condone one or the other. Opinion Amy Goldhammer i ain merely siaung the obvious from people’s experi ences and their stories. Still, in the col lege town crawl ing with fake IDs and secret "easy to-get-into” spots, a minor has a bet ter chance of find ing a candvman, or drug dealer, rather than a 21-year-old with nothing to do. As a University sophomore ca sually stated, “It is easier for me to get crack than it is to get beer.” Drugs have become the choice of underage students (All names in this column have been withheld to protect privacy.) So do we just have a high rolling stash of illegal narcotics hidden from inquisitive eyes? Not really. Those who want it and those who do it know where to find it and how to get it. And sadly enough, this is true. “For one thing, drug dealers don't card," said a University ju nior. “But, then again, any minor can go to any party and get a beer, too.” With no age limit on purchasing drugs, many underage students find this form of partying easier to obtain. A friend asks a friend who knows someone and in 10 n utes to two days a minor can obtain his or her de sired supply. And the candyman has another 50 bucks in his pocket. So, are minors stupid, incompe tent and screwing up their future? Some are. But, the majority of stu dents are going through the time in their lives where experimenta tion plays a key role in who they become. And, most are careful. The police intervention has mainly scared a large amount of people and not necessarily made significant positive changes in the actions of minors. Those underage people just behave a bit better and don't get too out of control that much any Minors are not necessarily pulling : the wool over the eyes of the po lice. However, the d rug scene in i Eugene has become much more underground and buried as a re sult of local officers focusing their attention on controlling inebriat ed youth. i "Just because they busted 13th Avenue doesn’t mean that the drug scene is gone,” the Universi- i ty sophomore said. "It’s just under i control. Wait, does that make sense?” ] Can a drug scene be under con trol? Probably not, and Eugene is a prime example. Students have figured out ways to keep drug deals low-key. there fore local news is not packed with large monthly drug bust stories. i And maybe this is why the Eugene drug scene seems calm from the i uuiaiuc. “Drugs are left and right, next door NO /D NEEDED ind across the hall,” said a fresh nan who lives in the dorms. “It’s jut of control.” Eugene is not loaded with drug ords and mafia narcotic cartels, dowever, many students have lawless means of acquiring an ar ay of drugs. There is no one person at fault, fhere is no one person to blame. I lon’t think we can point fingers at he drug smugglers for drugs in iugene. And we certainly can’t dame the students for exploring. Unfortunately students feel the leed to heighten their experiences vith chemicals and alcohol, vlany people and groups work to ward promoting sober and clean neans of enjoyment, but it will ake some time before University itudents realize drugs and alcohol ire not the key to jovial happiness. Amy Goklhammer is a colum nist for the Emerald. Her work appears on alternate Wednes ! days Herlieusdo not neces sarily represent those of the newspaper. I ONLY WITH PHOTO 10 ALTERNATIVES TO Impeachment.. 500 HOURS Of COMMUNITY JtRVKf USItNINC, TO MONICA IfW/NSKV TMK ABOUT POUCY. ..SO i 60, HPT, im wof VVHATFVtR ABOUT WflfA« Rfft*M. iooo hours auw« wnn tv* fib5t IAPY -Awo WHAT t*** ReffptHa °* r*t* ni? 'MPfACW ME!# r i West Bank r Wow! Me u^uailv jujr makes Deposits/// LETTERS POUCY The Oregon Dai ly Emerald will at tempt to print all letters containing comments on top ics of interest to the University commu nity. Letters must be limited to 250 words. The Emer ald reserves the right to edit any let ter for length, clari ty. grammar, style and libel. Letters may be dropped of at EMU Suite 300.
