I’m writing in response to the letter written by state Rep. Sandy Caul, (“Keg legislation will save lives” SN 2/8).

I am a student here at MSU, and I can’t believe the things I am hearing. You plan to pass legislation that puts a keg buyer’s information in the store, as well as on the keg.

If this law is passed, the police will just be able to go around to the beer stores and basically get a list of all the parties going on and where they are located. This is a gross infringement on our privacy.

You say by making kegs less accessible, we are going to save lives. You couldn’t be further from the truth. The more rules and regulations you make, the more likely they are to be broken. Why do you think people our age binge drink so often? It’s because we are told we can’t.

You talk about the tragedies we have had in the last couple of years with alcohol poisoning, but what you fail to mention is these people were at the bar celebrating, not at a party drinking from a keg. Even so, why should all of us suffer because someone can’t control his or her drinking habits?

I have had friends who ended up in the hospital, but they took responsibility for themselves and straightened out. The truth is that the more you try to shield us from alcohol, the more curious we grow, and thus the dangers increase.

When this plan fails, as I’m sure it will, what will you do next, label cases and 12-packs of beer? How far will you try and carry this idea until you see it is futile?

I still say the best way to reach individuals about the hazards of alcohol is education when they are young. Don’t try and play it off as if our children are not going to drink until they are 21. I started at 16, and I might have been more discouraged if someone had talked to me about it, but I was curious.

If I were you, I would leave it to parents and early-grade teachers. It’s too late to help us - we already know what we are getting into - but you can help the young.

It doesn’t matter how many laws you pass - look at Prohibition. We will always find ways to drink. If some choose to drink in excess, I’m sorry, but that’s their fault and they should accept responsibility.

Brian Selewski
interdisciplinary studies in social sciences junior