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Rebellion was everywhere during my high-school years, including breaking the ridiculous city curfew and off-roading in strip-mall parking lots.

But in college, I resolved to obey rules.

This plan unintentionally backfired the first night I moved in.

An informal freshman gathering in someone’s room quickly spun out of control because there were too many people – and alcohol, courtesy of second-years with connections. After the resident assistants busted us, the second-years coolly slipped out of the room, slyly remarking, “By the way, welcome to UCLA.”

“Welcome to UCLA.” Welcome to college life and alcohol’s omnipresence. You’d think it’s another television stereotype, but lo and behold, this stereotype holds true.

Alcohol and a fascination with its effects are ingrained in college culture because of its potential as a social lubricant and its indication of newfound independence and experimentation.

Alcohol, however, has led to many serious but preventable emergencies.

To realistically modify college lifestyles, here is a proposal: Lower the legal drinking age to 18 years.

And no, I am not a beer guzzler seeking to legalize the inebriation of myself and other underage people.

The problem with the number 21 is that it sits right in the middle of the 18-22 age range of college students.

People of all ages are inevitably present at social gatherings. It is impossible to keep track of who is legally allowed to drink, and many underage people end up drinking anyway.

The underage drinker’s usual limited access can perpetuate drinking because of the so-close-and-yet-so-far position of younger students.

Vicki McBride, a first-year undeclared student, said she noticed that some drink more alcohol in mixed-age groups because “you don’t know how or when you’re going to get alcohol (again).”

Setting the legal drinking age higher can contribute to the allure of alcohol, leading more people to drink at younger ages.

The forbidden nature of an act can be appealing, especially around the age of 18, as many enter college or move out of the house and away from parents, high school and other regulations.

Some people argue that lowering the alcohol age will promote even more drinking at an early age.

But according to data provided by UCLA Emergency Medical Services, the current age limit does not deter drinking at young ages.

Kurt Kainsinger, manager of UCLA EMS, said that 73 alcohol-related incidences (including poisoning or medical conditions pertaining to alcohol intake) used ambulance services in the 2005 calendar year.

The average student’s age was 18.9, and 52 out of the 73 were underage. These cases typically took place in the dorms, as EMS mostly serves on-campus locations.

These numbers primarily represent the dorms, which explains the low average age of those receiving services.

The average ages of potentially older victims in off-campus locations is unknown. Kainsinger said that, instead of EMS, the fire marshals respond to alcohol-related emergencies in these locations and do not keep official statistics of such calls.

The point is that the current law is not an enough of a deterrent for people thinking of participating in underage drinking.

Drinking would lose its exclusive away-from-home status and appeal with the lowering of the alcohol age. Eighteen is generally the age of transitioning to further independence, such as going away to college or moving out of the parents’ home.

Being legally exposed to the idea of drinking prior to leaving home could potentially allow for less-extreme alcohol experimentation, since high school students live under more regulation (parents, mandatory school attendance) than people living outside of their parents’ homes.

And while underage drinking does occur in high school, these aforementioned regulations may deter high school students from frequent, extreme alcohol intake.

If college life were similar to high school in terms of a greater parental presence, I’m sure the alcohol use would be less visible. Lower ages would probably not further encourage drinking among high school students.

And by the time these students shed these regulations by moving out or going to college, the thrill of alcohol would have faded. It would no longer be a big deal as the ultimate rite of passage to independence.

While alcohol emergencies will inevitably exist anywhere, such trends can lessen with early desensitization to the thrill of illegal drinking.

This would alleviate the exorbitant alcohol binges and their effects on underage people.

Perhaps (and hopefully) one day it will be a universal concept that drinking till you puke is “so high school.”

Instead of drunk-dialing, send drunk e-mails to Yoo at jyoo@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.