But what’s the appeal of taking 21 shots in one night? We’ve heard about students like Jesse Drews who have died from attempting to consume extreme amounts of alcohol on their birthdays. So why have shots parties become as popular as Real Housewives reruns?
The decision to take 21 shots doesn’t always occur on a whim. Some collegiettes™ weigh their options before deciding to celebrate by going “21 for 21.” Although the celebration calls for taking 21 shots, some choose not to take the full 1.5 ounces of alcohol in each shot to ensure they don’t over do it.
“I always knew I’d celebrate my 21st birthday, but not necessarily with 21 shots,” MU senior Kelly* says. “I did some researching about the topic before making the final decision to try for 21 shots. Because most shots that friends will order you are mixed, the amount of alcohol isn’t that much. Basically, you’re not taking 21 shots of straight liquor. Most bartenders can recognize when a shots party is going on and will even go out of their way to make shots weaker.”
In a 2008 study by the University of Missouri, researchers found more than four out of five participants drank to celebrate, and women were more likely to drink to celebrate than men. The study found that 12 percent of both male and female birthday drinkers reported consuming exactly 21 drinks, while an additional 12 percent of female birthday drinkers reported consuming more than 21 drinks.
Local business owners have noticed an increase in the 21 shots tradition during the past 10 years. But new factors have been added to keep the festivities fresh.
“Taking 21 shots on your 21st birthday has been around for a long time,” says Jay Rader of Bengal’s Bar and Grill. “I would say the newest evolution of the tradition is the shot book, which now seems to be a must for girls, especially those in sororities, celebrating their 21st birthdays.”
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For many, the shot book is a modern scrapbook. Social media has taken the place of printing out pictures, so shot books are a way to put a collection of photos together for the birthday girl. The photos can be silly or serious, but having them in a scrapbook means they can’t be untagged!
“Some scrapbook pages will have embarrassing photos, and some will have pictures of you on other milestone birthdays – turning into a teen at 13, celebrating sweet 16 and becoming an adult at 18,” Kelly said.
Because taking 21 shots is a pretty common practice in Columbia, restaurants might choose to offer specials on drinks or on meals.
“I definitely think Columbia businesses support 21 shots,” senior Hailee Murphy says. “When someone buys a shot for the 21-year-old, they end up buying another one to take with them. It increases sales.”
However, just because a customer can legally drink doesn’t mean business owners don’t feel a responsibility to watch out for their patrons.
“We do not support anyone taking 21 shots,” Rader said. “We do offer a shot specials one night a week. We also do except reservations for dinner parties. We always try to monitor all of our patrons to make sure everyone is having a safe and enjoyable time. We have never seen any injuries except for the occasional vomiting.”
Collegiettes need to remember that even though we might know more about football than our male friends or be able to outrun them on the treadmill, we shouldn’t try to keep up with them when it comes to taking shots. Even if our guy friends can take 21 shots no problem, doesn’t mean we should try to outdo them.
“Students always tell me, ‘Everyone does 21 shots on their 21st birthday and nothing bad happens,’” said licensed psychologist and MU Clinical Assistant Professor Susan O’Neill. “ It is important to remember that just because we don’t witness negative consequences of heavy or 21st birthday drinking doesn’t mean they don’t happen. Women are at particular risk for negative consequences of heavy drinking because our bodies make less of the enzyme required to break down alcohol,” O’Neill said. “It takes us longer to break down the alcohol we take in compared to our male friends even if we drink the same amount and weigh the same.”
In Columbia specifically, there can be a lot of pressure to take 21 shots on your special day. However, it’s most important to keep in mind your personal limits and whether or not drinking that amount is right for you.
“I do sort of feel like I missed out on something not doing my shots,” Murphy said. “However, I was still given a “shot book” from my friends. So, I still have the tangible memories that those who have 21 shot parties have. I feel like it is a right of passage in Columbia to do 21 shots. But it wasn’t for me.”
There are fun alternatives for collegiettes who don’t feel comfortable taking 21 shots. After all, birthdays mean the most if we spend them with those we care about.
“I chose not to do 21 shots because I didn’t drink very much before my birthday, and I was not ready for that much alcohol,” MU senior Anna Meyer said. “Instead, I had dinner and a couple of drinks with just a few of my closest friends. I think my birthday was still special because I got to spend it with friends. I think my birthday was a success. I have the rest of my life to take as many shots as I want. I definitely didn’t need to do it as soon as I turned 21 to make the day feel special.”