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Could a younger drinking age curb binge drinking?
Filed under: Teens, Health & Safety: Babies, Life & Style, In The News
In the United States, you're considered an adult and old enough to vote, make your own legal decision, and be drafted into military service at the age of 18. However, you're not old enough to have a beer for three more years.
The Amethyst Initiative is made up of chancellors and presidents of universities and colleges across the United States who think that rather than curbing drinking issues in young adults, the 21 drinking law actually promotes a culture of binge drinking on campus. So far over 100 university leaders have signed a petition asking lawmakers to lower the drinking age to 18 and the reasons why are very thought-provoking.
- The current law has not prevented alcohol from being available, and drinking is widespread at all American colleges, and at younger ages as well. But at colleges and universities, the law does have other effects: it pushes drinking into hiding, heightening its risks, including risks from drunken driving; and it prevents us from addressing drinking with students as an issue of responsible choice. ~Richard H. Brodhead, Duke University
- I signed because my 35 years in higher education and my 30+ years as a parent to three sons convinced me that the 21 year-old drinking age is hypocritical, ineffective, guilt-inducing and counterproductive. It is a form of mini-prohibition, and needs to be replaced with education and a focus on the value of moderation, not intolerance. ~Donald R. Eastman III, Eckerd College
But not everyone believes making forbidden fruit (juice) accessible at an earlier age is the solution. Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimates that 25,000 lives have been saved by the drinking age being 21 and is urging people to write their Governors and college presidents in order to maintain the 21 law and to avoid the universities affiliated with the Amethyst Initiative.
I've live in a college town for 20 years and can personally attest that all the 21 drinking law does little to prevent underage drinking. All it really seems to do here is make kids scatter when a police car goes by.
If the goal is truly to curb drinking and driving, the New York approach seems the way to go: you get caught drinking and driving, the car is no longer belongs to you (or whoever loaned it to you.) It would be interesting to see what effect a law like that would have on alcohol related accidents.
| It's a good idea. Don't change a thing. | |
|---|---|
| Remove the mystique, lower the drinking age to 18. |
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 2)
8-20-2008 @ 1:52PM
Kirstie said...I'll be a college sophomore this year (yeahhh, movin' in on Saturday! Sorry, very excited to be going back ..) and I have never met a single college stupid who cares, or ever even considers the fact, that underage drinking is indeed illegal. And on campus, it's almost as if it ISN'T - we certainly can't go into the pub on campus, and we don't have any frats or sororities on my campus (the university refuses to give them charters) but there's not much of anything to stop us drinking in our rooms, suites, or on-campus townhouses.
Many RAs look the other way when they spot drunk students - if they see bottles or cans they're forced to act, but otherwise it's not an issue. Even if they think you've got a backpack or purse filled with cans of Keystone or a bottle of rum, they can't do anything - there's a "no-clanking" rule that states that RAs can't go in your bags even if they can hear things clanking together that are awfully suspicious.
Public safety, too, does little - getting caught with liquor or being excessively drunk earns you a 3 hour class and a $50 fine, which sucks but has little to no bearing on your life.
So if they'll change it, all that means is kids can drink in public. A 21-year-old restriction isn't stopping anyone from drinking in private. And it's rather stupid to me, as many people have said, that an 18 year old can go get shot and killed defending his country but can't come back and have a beer in a bar.
For the record, I'm not a big drinker - I'll have a beer or two in a friendly game of beer pong, but rarely if ever anything more than that. I'm much more likely to be playing mom to my sodden floormates and making sure everyone is okay. I'd like to say that this is due to being shown moderation at home, but I really think it comes down to personality and the individual, because my younger brother (who is 15) drinks, and gets drunk, underage and gets himself into trouble.
I just don't think it's an effective law, and is rather pointless. Lowering it would certainly cut out the middlemen in terms of buying liquor and therefore it could be better monitored, in terms of how much 18 year olds are buying.
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8-21-2008 @ 8:13AM
ninainindia said...Drinking age of 21 seems ridiculous to me. Over here it is 16 actually.
Although with any age there will be people not being able to control themselves, it's better to get the 'wow I can drink" out of the way before you are allowed to drive.
The age for driving a car should go up to 18 in the US, I have never understood 16 years old being allowed to drive possibly deadly vehicles.
By the way, all young people I know (20-30) are very aware of not drinking and driving, it's the middle aged male population that is so sure they can hold their liquor and drive after drinking.
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8-21-2008 @ 4:14PM
GRACE4LIFE said...JENN, I'm thankful that your one DUI "ruined your entire life" instead of ending mine, or someone else's.
You don't know why we want harsher laws? We want them so that dense people will GET IT, that they have no right to take the lives of our loved ones throught their CHOICE to be careless.
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8-22-2008 @ 2:31PM
Jules said...TAKE THE FUN OUT OF IT!
My mother was allowed to drink at home growing up and so was I. I did the same with my 2 daughters. Guess what that did?
It took the 'fun' out of drinking and my mother doesn't drink, I don't drink and my daughters don't drink. (unless its socially but that is very rare for any of us)
My grandfather would come home from work and fix a 'high ball' and he would fix me a light one at age 9! I felt like an ADULT, was treated like an ADULT.
Growing up if I wanted a 6 pack all I would have had to do was ask my mom to buy it and she would have but what 'fun' would that have been? I wasn't getting away with anything.
The rules were I had to drink at HOME and I couldn't invite friends over to drink either. I could drink all I wanted AT HOME. Well as most people know, drinking is no fun ALONE. (if it is you might have a problem)
It took the 'fun' out of drinking. It took the mystique out of it. That's the way I grew up. I'm 43 and I still don't feel the need to drink. I think the last time I had a social drink was 3.5 yrs ago and that was a glass of wine with a great dinner.
I would just look at my binge drinking friends like they were STUPID. They had to sneak alcohol, find buyers, go someplace (which usually meant driving) to drink it. They'd get dog drunk, throw up and pass out. I never did that.
Nope, I was the DESIGNATED DRIVER since before I even got a drivers license. (was taught to drive at age 12 by my grandfather but that's a different story)
I thought it better to drive the short drive and get home ALIVE than get into an accident with a drunk driver.
So give these 18 yr olds the responsibility they need, take the 'fun' out of it.
BTW, the drinking age was 18 for my mother and my uncle yet none of them drink. Turning 18 and being legally able to drink passed without fanfare because it was NO BIG DEAL to drink.
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8-25-2008 @ 12:30PM
Sarah said...You all have good ideas on lowing the drinking age but you opinion don't really help!! It the government that going to lower the drinking age or not!! I think that it is a good idea cause i know how much it will show kids how addicting the stuff is..... I live in a family with mostly people that drink alot! I know i don't want to end up like that! It help kids learn that drink is a chosie not something that you need to do!!! If you old enough to vote you old enough to know if you should drink or not!!! So lower the drinking age just watch you kids more parents know where they are know what they doing even if they don't like it!! That what my mom dose and i am safer!!
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