College bars need to be accessible to students aged 19-years-old and up in order to provide a safe and controlled drinking environment. Students that are not of legal drinking age should still be able to spend time with their older friends.

Underage drinking is inevitable at most universities, although most college bars abide by state drinking age laws.

However, there is a loophole in this law, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has utilized it to keep students safe when drinking underage.

Illinois state law permits municipalities to acquire ordinances that allow students aged 19 and above to attend licensed bars, according to the Office of the Dean of Students at the University of Illinois. When students drink in bars, they are drinking in a much safer environment than at house parties or fraternity parties. 

Students at the University of Urbana-Champaign under the age of 21 can enter the bars but cannot legally purchase alcohol. This law should be made applicable to all college towns in Illinois. Allowing students aged 19 and up to attend bars would enhance the NIU college experience.

Parker McClure, an NIU senior health sciences major, said bars being accessible to students aged 19 and up can let younger students spend more time with their older friends.

“Sometimes friends go to bars, and their underage friends can’t go just to grab food, and that’s no fun,” McClure said.

When college students want to drink, they will always find a way, regardless of what the law states, so why not do so in a controlled environment? 

A study conducted in 2021 found that 49.3% of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the month of the study, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 

Fraternities are often one of the more popular places to drink at.

While these parties can be fun, fraternities are uncontrolled environments where underage drinking can be extremely unsafe. Bars could provide a controlled environment and more safety than house parties or fraternities.

Hannah Schori, a sophomore elementary education major, has been employed at Molly’s Eatery and Drinkery — a local bar — for the last several months and believes the bar environment is much safer than most other places off campus, like fraternities for example.

“After working at Molly’s for a few months now, I’ve formed so many relationships with the people who come in. We always make sure everyone gets home safe and is safe inside the bar as well,” Schori said.

Throughout history at any university, there are hundreds of instances of hazing, spiked drinks and sexual assault. 

For example, in September, a student at UIUC was drugged at a frat party, according to a notice posted by the university’s Division of Public Safety.

On NIU’s campus during the fall 2023 semester, there were 10 reported instances of sexual assault, 23 reported instances of illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor and six reported instances of illegal possession of alcohol by a minor, according to the Northern Star Crime Log summaries from Aug. 28, 2023, September 2023, October 2023, November 2023 and through to Dec. 16, 2023.

While these crimes are not completely preventable by making college bars accessible to underage students, bars are a more controlled environment than frat and house parties off-campus. 

“Underage drinking is extremely common in college, and I think 19 and up bars can provide them with a safer environment, plus being around employees they trust,” Schori said.

McClure said another benefit of college bars for students aged 19 and up could be improved business at the bars.

“I think by making college bars accessible to students 19 and up, local bars can get more business which, in turn, would lead to more money,” McClure said.

No matter what laws are put in place, drinking under the legal age is inevitable. Providing an environment for students to make drinking just a little bit safer is absolutely necessary on college campuses.