In recent weeks we have seen the first few glimpses into life during the warmer months in Edinburgh, with people flocking en masse to The Meadows, Leith Links, or Princes Street Gardens to soak up the sunshine, often with alcoholic drinks in hand. For many students, this nice weather becomes an excuse to start drinking early. Yet when bars throughout the city are busy before midday, it raises the question of whether the day drinking culture among students in Edinburgh is socially acceptable.
Day drinking can take many different forms, but it is commonly associated with holidays or major events that students celebrate by drinking throughout the day. For example, St Patrick’s Day is usually a highlight for day drinking in students’ social calendars. This year, Dropkick Murphys offered a bottomless Greggs brunch where they served guests a complimentary bottle of VK from as early as eleven in the morning to mark the occasion. The Three Sisters Bar had its doors open from 8am until 3am and celebrated Paddy’s Day with a “Jepic” performance from Jedward and bright green pints of Leprechaun Lager.
Students in Edinburgh participated in St Patrick’s themed celebrations throughout the day regardless of any personal connection to Irish culture. But does this simply show that students hold a strong appreciation for Irish culture, or is this an indication that the prevalence of day drinking culture among students means that alcohol becomes the central focus of any social event? The cheap drinks, themed promotions, and extended opening hours of bars in Edinburgh for St Patrick’s Day suggest the latter.
I spoke with a group of third year students who said they had their first drinks at 9am on St Patrick’s Day and did not get home until 4am the next morning. I asked how they were able to manage this on top of their university work and one student replied that they had skipped two lectures that day, but they would prefer to “skip now and catch up later than to show up drunk or miss out on the Paddy’s Day fun,” highlighting that on this occasion they have prioritised social activities over their academic obligations.
With this in mind, some may argue that the university should take a firmer stance to stop the normalisation of skipping lectures for the sake of social events.
Furthermore, the fact that many students feel comfortable with day drinking could heighten a fear of missing out among those who do not. This could encourage more students to drink during the day, even at the expense of their studies or health. It is therefore clear why some people argue the need for regulations to limit day drinking.
Yet it is important to remember that day drinking does not always mean binge drinking as part of a large event or holiday. St Patrick’s Day is a special occasion and the third-year student I spoke with made it clear that they would not be skipping lectures and drinking for nineteen consecutive hours if it were an ordinary Tuesday. Day drinking can also be far more casual, such as having a pint or a glass of wine while watching a sporting event, and it would be unfair to treat this form of day drinking and the large-scale full day celebrations of St Patrick’s Day as equal.
Day drinking can be an enjoyable way to pass time with friends. It can be part of a reward for accomplishments, or a celebration for a birthday, and on a warm sunny day it can be a perfect refreshment. Although day drinking may seem to be a pervasive aspect of student culture, especially when we look at binge drinking habits on holidays such as St Patrick’s Day, it is not always so extreme. Students who choose to participate in large daytime celebrations instead of attending their lectures understand that they will eventually have to catch up, and most students would not do this on regular occasions.
Ultimately, occasional day drinking should remain a socially acceptable aspect of student culture. Although I recognise that missing a lecture to go to the pub is hardly ideal, as long as students do not make a habit of this, and as long as they are consuming alcohol in moderation, there is no great harm in a daytime drink every now and then. Day drinking culture at university should only be a cause for concern in its extremes and having a drink during the day from time to time is not grounds for judgment.
Photo by Kelsey Chance on Unsplash