News & Politics - Topic of the Week #20: Should the legal drinking age be lowered?

**vc318** · 09-07-2008, 12:01 AM

College presidents spark debate on drinking age - Yahoo! News

College presidents spark debate on drinking age
By JUSTIN POPE, AP Education Writer Fri Aug 22, 6:22 PM ET

For years, former Middlebury College President John McCardell has been criticizing the law, saying it only encourages binge drinking and pushes alcohol into the shadows.

But then McCardell quietly enlisted about 100 college presidents in a campaign calling for the drinking age to be reconsidered. After The Associated Press reported on the effort this week, the issue erupted into the biggest discussion on the subject in years — in blogs, over e-mail, in newspaper editorials and around office water coolers.

College presidents usually avoid contentious topics because alienating alumni and politicians poses big risks and offers few rewards. So it was big news when so many leaders of the nation's best-known institutions signed on to McCardell's "Amethyst Initiative," named for the Greek gemstone said to ward off intoxication.

Supporters included presidents of private universities such as Duke, Dartmouth and Johns Hopkins, and public schools including Ohio State and the University of Maryland.

"No matter where you stand on this issue, it's impossible to look at what has happened over the last three or four days and say this is a settled question," McCardell said Friday in one of nearly a dozen scheduled media interviews.

"It's also impossible to say the public isn't ready to participate in the debate the presidents are calling for."

Critics led by Mothers Against Drunk Driving got their view across, too, accusing the presidents of seeking to avoid the unpleasant work of cracking down on campus lawbreakers.

MADD marshaled critics, including the acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, who called changing the law "a terrible idea" that would "jeopardize the lives of more teens." On Friday, the International Association of Chiefs of Police issued a statement opposing a lower drinking age.

Amid the backlash, two presidents — Robert Franklin of Morehouse College and Kendall Blanchard of Georgia Southwestern State — withdrew their support.

"We welcome an honest discussion and that begins with a clear discussion of the science," MADD CEO Chuck Hurley said. "We are hopeful that that will be the focus going forward."

But at least 20 presidents have added their names this week, including the presidents of Montclair State in New Jersey and the University of Massachusetts system, bringing the total to at least 123.

"We're not burying our head and trying to hide behind laws," said the Rev. Paul Locatelli, president of Santa Clara University in California, who meets personally with every student written up for alcohol infractions. "We're trying to say, 'What is the best way to approach this issue?'"

Whether the debate will lead anywhere is unclear. Opinion polls suggest most Americans support enforcing current drinking laws.

In a MADD press release, Rep. James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat and chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said he would not consider any effort to repeal or weaken "this lifesaving law."

Efforts in states including Minnesota, Wisconsin and Vermont to relax the drinking age have been rebuffed. A 1984 federal law limits a state's access to federal highway funds if it sets a drinking age lower than 21.

But that law is up for reauthorization next year. McCardell wants it changed so states can decide for themselves the best drinking age, without fear of losing federal money. He hopes the drinking age will become an issue in the fall election campaign.

A number of newspaper editorials this week criticized the presidents, calling enforcement a better answer.

The Indianapolis Star questioned "whether the style of behavior demonstrated by a university president or a professor at a dinner or reception will be replicated by freshmen let loose at their first Friday night keg party."

"Why permit 18-year-olds to vote but not drink?" asked Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman. "Because they have not shown a disproportionate tendency to abuse the franchise, to the peril of innocent bystanders."

But other editorial pages, including The Houston Chronicle, were more sympathetic — at least to the presidents' call for debate, if not to lowering the drinking age.

While "it's hard to believe that the current drinking age is to blame, it does limit the ways colleges can respond" to problem drinking, wrote The Los Angeles Times.

Against the forces of peer-pressure and marketing, "the only educational message colleges can deliver to students is 'Don't.' It's worth considering ways to teach young people how to drink responsibly — for example, by letting states create limited, provisional rights."

Predictably, student newspapers were also sympathetic, like the Duke Chronicle, which praised President Richard Brodhead for signing on.

"We'd even raise a glass to him — that is, if we could," the Chronicle editors wrote.

Hmm, I disagree. I don't think lowering the legal drinking age would be a good idea. Also, being able to vote when you turn eighteen isn't nearly as harmful as driving drunk and possibly killing someone. But no matter the age, kids are going to sneak a bottle past their parents one way or another just because they want the "thrill" I guess.

COOLCAT200 · 09-07-2008, 01:30 AM

I think lowering the drinking age would be a horrible idea.

*Ledi* · 09-07-2008, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vc318 (View Post)

Hmm, I disagree. I don't think lowering the legal drinking age would be a good idea. Also, being able to vote when you turn eighteen isn't nearly as harmful as driving drunk and possibly killing someone.

Yet, it's ok for people to join the army once they turn 18. Now that doesn't make sense.

**Cristofle** · 09-07-2008, 12:36 PM

I think there are persuasive arguments for lowering the drinking age, and one concept I agree with is why people under 21 tend to drink so abusively in the US: it's the forbidden fruit angle. It's forbidden and daring, and so kids aren't just having a glass of wine with dinner, they're getting smashed. It's beyond easy to get alcohol under 21. I'm 24 now- I drank more when I was 18 (although I still had rules for myself- no driving, never on a night when I had classes the next day, not more than once a month, etc). I never had a problem getting alcohol at college. I wasn't really forbidden by my mother to have it either, she often poured a glass of wine for me, and I think that helped in my not seeing it so much as an exciting rebellion. Kids drink for the rebellion and the thrill. Would it be like that if alcohol wasn't portrayed as such a "forbidden fruit" in this country? I'm not saying it should be legal for 14 year olds, lol, but if you're old enough to vote, join the army, get married, own a car or a house...shouldn't you be allowed to have a glass of wine with your meal? And is the fact that it's not legal why kids drinking abusively is the rule instead of the exception?

**sunnykerr** · 09-07-2008, 07:37 PM

Well, I can't really talk, can I? The drinking age in Canada is 18.

But I do know about the whole "forbidden fruit" angle. I grew up in a town about thirty minutes north of the Vermont border. And around weekends, the streets got very dangerous when the teenagers from south of the border came up to drink. Because there was a feeling, I would assume, of needing to get as much of it done while they "could." I would imagine. I don't actually know as I'm not a mind reader. My point is, our road accident statistics would sky rocket at weekends.

I have to stay that I'm not sure it's the age itself that's the issue. Mind you, I would have to agree that if it's okay to send an 18-year-old to war and to trust them to have judgement enough to vote in elections at age 18... then what is exactly the big hold up on drinking? It's the age most people go off to college anyway, isn't it?

I do think that the problem is not related to the number but to the attitude surrounding it. I don't drink myself. I used to, but I stopped because it got to be quite expensive. I dehydrate really quickly and easily, so it would cost a lot in juice and pop to keep me hydrated after even one drink. So, you know, that's my disclaimer.

But my mum also bought me my first beer when I was 16. Or was it 15? I can't remember. It's been a while. She never encouraged me to drink, but she made it very clear that she would rather be aware of it. And, you know what, I never hid any of it from her. And I never felt the need or desire to binge in any way, shape or form. She wouldn't coddle me if I overdid it, but she wouldn't punish me for trying it out either. And, in doing so, she taught me how to drink responsibly. She would have me call her at two in the morning if I needed someone sober to drive me home. She made sure I knew that it mattered more to her that I took care of myself than that I behave according to any preconceived notions my peers might be trying to portray.

So what do I know? I think 18's a decent legal age for drinking. But, at the end of the day, I really don't think the actual number matters. I started drinking before that and I stopped not very long afterwards.

**vc318** · 09-07-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Ledi* (View Post)

Yet, it's ok for people to join the army once they turn 18. Now that doesn't make sense.

Well, drinking alcohol has a direct effect on a person so their behavior would be impaired thus leading the person to do something stupid like getting behind a steering wheel. The only victim would be the person who would get struck by this foolish person. But you make a good point about the age requirement for joining the army. Most soldiers feel rather proud serving their country although the moral could be down these days, I'm sure. I guess that's why some go into the military. Others even think of it as a way to a college education or to get away from their parents. I think with everything in life there's always a risk but when you decide to drive drunk, that's harming someone's life in the process - not so much yours.

**sunnykerr** · 09-07-2008, 07:50 PM

Driving drunk is a real issue, and one that we know to affect youth rather dramatically.

So I don't want to undermine that.

But I do think that responsible behaviour and alcohol consumption are two different things. Yes, alcohol consumption impairs judgement. But not that swiftly, and not that unilaterally. And also not more so because one is 19 as opposed to 21.

**TheAngel** · 09-08-2008, 09:37 AM

I found this, an interesting set of statistics from 2002 about drinking and driving, and the only statistic I could find about age. Drinking and Driving, but it seems to me that age doesn't have a correlation to drinking and driving considering the fact that there is still a huge amount of drinking and driving in the 30-45 and 46-64 age range. Bad decisions can be made at any age.
I'm a student at Indiana University Bloomington, a campus of 40,000 that used to hold the rank of America's Number One Party School and still has a very large drinking culture. Age doesn't matter. It's extremely simply for students to get alcohol no matter their age, and there are a number of 21 and 22 year old binge drinkers. I don't drink. I had an ex-boyfriend who was an alcoholic and I stay away from it after seeing what it did to him, but I don't believe age is the issue. The issue is education.
My parents never kept alcohol secret from me. They actually told me that, if at any time, I wanted to see what it was like to be drunk, they wanted me to do it at home so they could take care of me. My dad gave me sips of his beer since I was about 14 and when I was about 12 they gave me small glasses of champagne at New Years. Here I am, 21 years old, and I've never bought alcohol for personal consumption barring once right after my birthday. I tried one beer, hated the taste, and gave the rest to my dad. I've never seen my parents drunk, they've never said it was OK to be intoxicated, they've warned me about the dangers, including possibly sexual assault and rape as an intoxicated female on a college campus. The drinking culture in the US has to do with a poor education regarding alcohol. The forbidden fruit excuse doesn't fly because there are a ton of 21+ that are still drinking and driving, still binge drinking.
In terms of drinking and driving, I think, if you're caught for a DUI or DWI a single time, you have to have a breathalyser put in your car at your own cost that you have to blow into in order to start the car. That may very well help drinking and driving and keep it from happening. If you do it once, you're likely to do it again, but age isn't the issue, or I suppose the only issue.

**~+Yamiko** · 09-08-2008, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Here I am, 21 years old, and I've never bought alcohol for personal consumption barring once right after my birthday

Same here. I don't know if it's because of the rebel feeling of drinking illegally or if it's the fact that I'm not a heavy drinker.

Never liked beer myself, whether or not it was chilled.

I remembered this subject was brought up in my house a few weeks ago and my younger cousin (19) was rather excited so at least, he could drink legally if it ever passes through.

Interesting debate indeed, especially when Eda mentioned about being 18 and having to join the army but you need to be 21 to drink. As far as harming your health goes, you can purchase cigarettes when you reach 18 but that thing kills you slowly. I had always wondered about that.

And then I remembered that outside the US, the drinking age is a lot lower than the standard 21.

**sunnykerr** · 09-10-2008, 06:04 PM

It's a huge stereotype, but wine is a common accompaniment to supper in Europe. And it is not limited to grown ups necessarily.

I think, sometimes, by expecting virtuous conduct, or moral conduct, or whatever it's called, we err on the side of making alcohol taboo.

Obviously, it's not for kids to consume. But when the teenage years begin... I think we should teach moderation rather than impose an actual threshold for consumption.

Eighteen makes sense inasmuch as, legally, parents are responsible for their children's actions up until that point. Most of the time anyway, we all know certain criminal behaviours have changed that. But, for the most part, they're legally responsible. And so, when the young adult becomes legally responsible for their actions... then it's as good a time as any to grant them that legal right to alcohol consumption.

But I do think it would be better to approach alcohol consumption as every other thing in life. It's a right, but one that is balanced with responsibilities. Just like everything else in life.

**vc318** · 09-10-2008, 10:02 PM

Drinking is one thing but operating a vehicle is another. I say that some sort of breathilizer should be installed in ALL cars. Why is something like that not standard? This problem would be solved so easily.

**sunnykerr** · 09-11-2008, 07:23 PM

They should.

But they should probably also be reasonable about the legal drinking age.