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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.
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