Pre-drinks are no more a “new trend” than going to a club is. Just ask your parents

In the aftermath of Hardwellgate, our “prinking” culture has been saddled with the blame for the ‘major incident’ where hundreds of inebriated tweens received medical treatment

alcohol BBC Poots pre-drinks prinking swall

The media went into frenzy after the Hardwell debacle, pointing the finger at a student drinking culture which promotes alcoholism and lives destitute of morality.

What a load of absolute bollocks.

Let us first begin with the word “prinking”.

As students we are all frequently told never to write about something of which you have little to no knowledge, otherwise you will fail your exams.

Clearly this was a lesson BBC NI’s Kevin Sharkey hadn’t learned and this was more than evident in his story.

Complete chaos

Until last week “prinking” was a word I had never heard before – pre-drinks/swall is the usual terminology.

It is in this respect that those who tut with derision at us sinful students prove just how little they know of their chosen complaint.

Pre-drinks are no more a “new trend” than going to a club is. Just ask your parents. Ask your grandparents.

A pre also makes economic sense – a student that can afford to fuel a whole night on drinks bought whilst out is a rare creature.

Utter madness at this pre

 

Buying your own drinks allows you to mix them yourself and means you can keep an eye on exactly how much you’ve had.

However, a pre isn’t an excuse to get completely wrecked either. Even for sober students it is an essential component of any night out – a perfect warm up tradition that brings everyone together before heading out.

Not only is this a good way to get everyone excited but is also a safe start to a night – a pre ensures everyone arrives together. Economic and practical, a pre is not just the hedonistic madness it’s being sold as.

Edwin Poots, political idiot extraordinaire, has claimed that “pocket money prices” for alcohol is to blame.

Let’s not forget that around 80% of people at Hardwell were under the age of 18.Price of alcohol has little to do with it – this mediocre politician has managed to nicely side step the real issue of underage drinking in favour of a report into a minimum price for alcohol.

Is it fair that we’re still getting tarred with the same brush that smears the underage despite the fact we are now “adults”?

Shut up Sharkey

Most of us are working as many hours as possible at part-time jobs, trying to pay heating bills and rent whilst at the same time struggling to earn a piece of paper at the end of 3 or 4 years of mental turmoil that says we’re qualified at something.

Student life does not revolve around alcohol, much as we would like it to.

Is it really so bad that we like to enjoy ourselves by going a bit mental on a night out?

We may make mistakes whenever we drink but we learn some of the best lessons that way.

Get off your high horse ye who blame students for everything – stop pretending you too were never young, naive and happy about it.