Underage Drinking

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CraigG

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Yesterday i was at a party that go busted by the cops i received a MUNICIPAL underage drinking charge and blew a .08 (i am 18) and got a MUNICIPAL paraphernalia charge for having a pipe on me (no weed) will this effect my chances of getting into pharmacy school, the cops said as long as i pay it it shouldn't show up on my record.

*note i may be able to get both suspended from record depending on how the court appearance goes

any information on if it will show up on my pharmcas would be greatly appreciated
 
CraigG said:
Yesterday i was at a party that go busted by the cops i received a MUNICIPAL underage drinking charge and blew a .08 (i am 18) and got a MUNICIPAL paraphernalia charge for having a pipe on me (no weed) will this effect my chances of getting into pharmacy school, the cops said as long as i pay it it shouldn't show up on my record.

*note i may be able to get both suspended from record depending on how the court appearance goes

any information on if it will show up on my pharmcas would be greatly appreciated
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i think you should be more concerned with your maturity level and being a representative of the health care industry at your age.
 
megandupe said:
i think you should be more concerned with your maturity level and being a representative of the health care industry at your age.
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👍

If you blame that on your age and being young, it doesn't sound very responsible.
 
Sigh, everyone gets to vote at the age of 18 but not be able to drink till 21. Isn't that some kind of double standard? But yeah, stay away from those intoxicants as far as you can whether or not you are underage.
 
megandupe said:
i think you should be more concerned with your maturity level and being a representative of the health care industry at your age.
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Give me a break!! This kid is only 18 years old.. He is not even close to being a "representative of the health care industry".. He is simply being a "representative of a teenager".

He has several years to go before he is even close to being able to call himself a health care professional.

When I was a teenager, I smoked more weed than a whale blows water... Now that I am in my late twenties, I have been able to grow up and move on from that foolishness..

I think the Bible sums this up the best (and NO, I am not preaching here, I just think this piece of literature is appropriate for the moment.) And the Bible says; When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Anyways - Op, don't let this get you down. What you need to do is straighten yourself out, quit the pot/drinking, and focus on your studies. Get a good job, good grades, and grow up. 4-5 years from now, when you are ready to apply to pharmacy school, be a man and not a child. Make sure that your interviewers see that your a man and you will do just fine.

If it were me, I would not bother putting it down on my application unless it specifically asks me to. Also, talk to your defense attorney and see if there is a way that this can be purged from your record.

Good luck
 
Pojman said:
Give me a break!! This kid is only 18 years old.. He is not even close to being a "representative of the health care industry".. He is simply being a "representative of a teenager".

He has several years to go before he is even close to being able to call himself a health care professional.

When I was a teenager, I smoked more weed than a whale blows water... Now that I am in my late twenties, I have been able to grow up and move on from that foolishness..

Anyways - Op, don't let this get you down. What you need to do is straighten yourself out, quit the pot/drinking, and focus on your studies. Get a good job, good grades, and grow up. 4-5 years from now, when you are ready to apply to pharmacy school, be a man and not a child. Make sure that your interviewers see that your a man and you will do just fine.

If it were me, I would not bother putting it down on my application unless it specifically asks me to. Also, talk to your defense attorney and see if there is a way that this can be purged from your record.

Good luck
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Go easy on him just because he's still a teenager? 🙄

18 is old enough to make own your decisions and be very aware of your consequences and know what laws you have to follow.
 
crazybob said:
Go easy on him just because he's still a teenager? 🙄

18 is old enough to make own your decisions and be very aware of your consequences and know what laws you have to follow.
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Come on - we are all students of science/biology here. We are well acquainted with the development of the brain, specifically the frontal lobe, over the course of a lifetime. A man/woman in their thirties is not at all the same person that they were when they were a teenager.

I am not saying to go easy on him because he is a teenager. I am simply saying that this should not be the end of the road for this poor kid. If he is smart enough, and emotionally mature enough, he can overcome this childish behavior and go on to live a fulfilling life. If being a Pharmacist is what he wants to do, then he should have the same opportunity that anyone else has.

Its not like he murdered someone. This behavior can be managed, especially considering he is a teenager.
 
To the OP: Take this experience as a lesson learned, hope that the courts won't put this on your record, and, if the courts are in your favor, take this as a second chance. Booze/drugs just aren't worth jeopardizing your future in any profession, and, in your case, both are deemed illegal anyways (no matter how we all feel about the laws).
 
crazybob said:
Go easy on him just because he's still a teenager? 🙄

18 is old enough to make own your decisions and be very aware of your consequences and know what laws you have to follow.
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As long as he was not drinking and driving or endangering other people in any way, giving him **** for this is kind of ridiculous on your part imo. It's completely legal in other countries, so that should tell you in the least that as a humanity we disagree on this - it's not one of those black and white issues. There are responsible 18 year old drinkers who may have a glass of wine at home at the dinner time with their parents and irresponsible 30 year olds who drink their ass off at the bar, then get behind the wheel and go out driving, all while putting people's lives at risk.

IMO, better do it when you are 18 than when you are 27 and in pharmacy school, gorging on EtOH every weekend because you still haven't gotten it out of your system due to being deprived as a teen.

Thank God I grew up in the country where alcohol was viewed as normal not a forbidden fruit. I have no desire to drink it whatsoever - just had my first beer yesterday in probably 8 months or so. Can't say the same about some of my american born counterparts who run to the bar first chance they get.
 
crazybob said:
Go easy on him just because he's still a teenager? 🙄

18 is old enough to make own your decisions and be very aware of your consequences and know what laws you have to follow.
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And you think it's easy being a teenager? You're surrounded by drugs and alcohol. Not that you should join the crackheads and drunks every chance you get, but you only live once. With that said, every time you drink or smoke you risk getting in trouble with the law and you should accept the consequences. I think he should get a second chance though. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
 
No you should be fine. I have two friends with MIPS and one with an MIC and they both got in. Finding either of those on a background check isn't really a big deal. Just don't apply to a school in Utah. They won't like it at all.

I don't have any experience with the paraphernalia charge though.
 
cheburashka said:
As long as he was not drinking and driving or endangering other people in any way, giving him **** for this is kind of ridiculous on your part imo. It's completely legal in other countries, so that should tell you in the least that as a humanity we disagree on this - it's not one of those black and white issues. There are responsible 18 year old drinkers who may have a glass of wine at home at the dinner time with their parents and irresponsible 30 year olds who drink their ass off at the bar, then get behind the wheel and go out driving, all while putting people's lives at risk.

IMO, better do it when you are 18 than when you are 27 and in pharmacy school, gorging on EtOH every weekend because you still haven't gotten it out of your system due to being deprived as a teen.

Thank God I grew up in the country where alcohol was viewed as normal not a forbidden fruit. I have no desire to drink it whatsoever - just had my first beer yesterday in probably 8 months or so. Can't say the same about some of my american born counterparts who run to the bar first chance they get.
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Exactly- he should do it when he's 18 and in college being like we all were. BUT, he should not be so concerned with his upcoming pharmcas app while he's still behaving this way. Get it out of your system, then apply to pharm school, otherwise you're a fraudulent representative of healthcare. You need to earn responsibility.
 
megandupe said:
Exactly- he should do it when he's 18 and in college being like we all were. BUT, he should not be so concerned with his upcoming pharmcas app while he's still behaving this way. Get it out of your system, then apply to pharm school, otherwise you're a fraudulent representative of healthcare. You need to earn responsibility.
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double post
 
Last edited:
megandupe said:
Exactly- he should do it when he's 18 and in college being like we all were. BUT, he should not be so concerned with his upcoming pharmcas app while he's still behaving this way. Get it out of your system, then apply to pharm school, otherwise you're a fraudulent representative of healthcare. You need to earn responsibility.
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Not sure why my post didn't get posted, but you haven't shadowed many pharm students have you ? :laugh:

You'd be suprised how many drinking and parting and social mingling goes on at pharmacy school, amongst mature mid to late twenty something year olds. I'm sure - (I know) after 8 midterms in the row and 18 hour study days, most people will be out celebrating and having a good time, mingling and having a beer not worried about "representing health care". We are human.

I've seen people come to 8 am class still hung over after a night long drinking and partying. Med students or dentals aren't any better, they partied far more than we could imagine. I'm not advocating drinking, I just think if you expect stringent "maturity" which you seem think implies alcohol absitence and lack of partying, even in pharmacy school, you are in for disappointment.
 
So I turn 21 in October, but start my P1 year at the end of August. What would happen, hypothetically, if I blew anything but .000's on a breathalyzer this summer or the first month and a half of school? If the school performed a background check, I would imagine it's PRIOR to acceptance, so would it even make a difference? That is, assuming drugs and violence and all of that stuff are not involved. I feel like the last thing I, or any other admitted, soon-to-be-enrolled professional student should have to worry about is ruining my career for enjoying a nice beer on a hot summer day and running into law enforcement for some reason.

Nothing is mentioned in my "conditional acceptance" letter about run-ins with the fuzz, just that I have to pay the deposit, show up to the orientation, and send in my spring grades with nothing below a C.
 
Liebensaft said:
So I turn 21 in October, but start my P1 year at the end of August. What would happen, hypothetically, if I blew anything but .000's on a breathalyzer this summer or the first month and a half of school? If the school performed a background check, I would imagine it's PRIOR to acceptance, so would it even make a difference? That is, assuming drugs and violence and all of that stuff are not involved. I feel like the last thing I, or any other admitted, soon-to-be-enrolled professional student should have to worry about is ruining my career for enjoying a nice beer on a hot summer day and running into law enforcement for some reason.

Nothing is mentioned in my "conditional acceptance" letter about run-ins with the fuzz, just that I have to pay the deposit, show up to the orientation, and send in my spring grades with nothing below a C.
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I would do everything possible to not let this situation occur. Don't take chances that could blow all your hard work. Background checks theoretically can be run at any point during your career as a student.
 
Liebensaft said:
So I turn 21 in October, but start my P1 year at the end of August. What would happen, hypothetically, if I blew anything but .000's on a breathalyzer this summer or the first month and a half of school? If the school performed a background check, I would imagine it's PRIOR to acceptance, so would it even make a difference? That is, assuming drugs and violence and all of that stuff are not involved. I feel like the last thing I, or any other admitted, soon-to-be-enrolled professional student should have to worry about is ruining my career for enjoying a nice beer on a hot summer day and running into law enforcement for some reason.

Nothing is mentioned in my "conditional acceptance" letter about run-ins with the fuzz, just that I have to pay the deposit, show up to the orientation, and send in my spring grades with nothing below a C.
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There's something screwy about this thread. I posted this earlier and it appeared, but now it disappeared. I can still find it by navigating through my profile link to view all my posts though. Really strange.


pharmschooler said:
I would do everything possible to not let this situation occur. Don't take chances that could blow all your hard work. Background checks theoretically can be run at any point during your career as a student.
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You're probably right. I'm assuming it wouldn't be an issue, but it's sad to think that there's the possibility. It's especially sad considering how much the group's tour leader on my interview/visit day suggested that the student population is able to party and let loose for holiday occasions, often with professors.
 
Not allowed to have a drink until 21 but able to go to Afghanistan and be shot or blown up.?
In the UK 18 is the legal age to go into a bar. The police in the UK have conviction targets to meet. When not a great deal of evidence etc will often say accept a 'caution' and you can go home. However, acceptance of a caution is an acceptance of guilt and it goes on the record. It will show up in Criminal Record checks which now insisted on for an job involving contact with children and vulnerable adults. Most certainly would show up on applying for hospital job.
johnep
 
My take is, if it's simple drunk-in-public, and not something worse, this shouldn't be an issue at all at most places. Consuming alcohol is, for better or worse, considered a normal activity, and is viewed generally as not being immoral. Illegal due to age, perhaps, but morality and legality do not always coincide.

I think most places would consider it equal, as far as moral turpitude goes, to getting a parking ticket. A law was broken - big fat deal.

The risk here is not that you drank underage - many, many people did that, even when the drinking age was 18. The risk isn't even that you got caught having alcohol in your bloodstream - a significant number of people have that too. The risk is if you fail to disclose it, and it comes out later - now, you've been caught in a lie of omission, and that IS a moral issue.

I'd disclose it and let the chips fall where they may in that situation. I think most admissions committees would take a cursory look at the disclosure, shrug, and keep reading the application. A public drunkenness charge isn't something that will disqualify you generally. It's not a black mark on your record, unless you MAKE it one by lying about it and getting caught in that lie afterwards.

The paraphernalia charge is a bit more serious, but I'd also go for disclosure. It might hurt you a little, but if you're an otherwise solid applicant, I think you'll still be able to get in.
 
The weed is especially scary. I took a big gulp the first time someone educated me about the fact that a drug possession charge of any variety excludes you from federal financial aid, meaning you might as well skip the FAFSA.

Moral of the story is: if you're gonna smoke, you're putting your ass on the line by taking it into public.
 
Liebensaft said:
The weed is especially scary. I took a big gulp the first time someone educated me about the fact that a drug possession charge of any variety excludes you from federal financial aid, meaning you might as well skip the FAFSA.

Moral of the story is: if you're gonna smoke, you're putting your ass on the line by taking it into public.
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My favorite quote from my psychology professor was something along the lines "The biggest danger of marijuana is that it is illegal." I know i'm risk aversive but i can't imagine the high is so amazing to jeopardize your professional future.

As a society, it's generally accepted as normal to drink after the 18. However, OPs problem is not that he or she drank per se but the environment that was chosen to drink in. If you go to a loud, raucous party there is always the possibility that cops will come to break it up. If you have a couple beers at your house or at a dinner party, the cops won't know about it to come knocking at your door.

But if you are under 21 you should also never ever drive even after only 1 beer or 1 glass of wine. Even if you aren't impaired, you could easily get pulled over for some routine thing and if the cop can smell a drink on your breath or you get stopped by an alcohol check point, there is no way you could pass the breathlyzer test since the legal limit is so stringent for under 21.
 
monkieez said:
...
But if you are under 21 you should also never ever drive even after only 1 beer or 1 glass of wine. Even if you aren't impaired, you could easily get pulled over for some routine thing and if the cop can smell a drink on your breath or you get stopped by an alcohol check point, there is no way you could pass the breathlyzer test since the legal limit is so stringent for under 21.
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This is ok after 21? Must be a new law that I am unaware of...
 
owlegrad said:
This is ok after 21? Must be a new law that I am unaware of...
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21 and over, the legal alcohol limit in most (all?) states is 0.08. Under 21, it's 0.01.

One drink an hour before driving won't make you DUI, generally. For most people, even two would be ok. But under 21, one drink even three hours before driving is risky, legally.
 
trap said:
21 and over, the legal alcohol limit in most (all?) states is 0.08. Under 21, it's 0.01.

One drink an hour before driving won't make you DUI, generally. For most people, even two would be ok. But under 21, one drink even three hours before driving is risky, legally.
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I think you missed Owls sarcasm.
 
trap said:
21 and over, the legal alcohol limit in most (all?) states is 0.08. Under 21, it's 0.01.

One drink an hour before driving won't make you DUI, generally. For most people, even two would be ok. But under 21, one drink even three hours before driving is risky, legally.
Click to expand...

Ah, sorry, that wasn't the way I was reading the previous post. Thanks for clarifying.
 
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