20th Anniversary of Sober 20 Year Olds
In 1985 my home state of Wisconsin changed the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 in response to the Federal Government's threat to take away a portion of the state's highway funds. Advocates say it has cut down drunk driving and created a much more safe college campus environment. Opponents argue binge drinking skyrocketed and it is a civil rights violation. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigates.
How can people say with a straight face that 18 year-olds are competent to wield a firearm and fight for our country in Iraq, but not old enough to go to a bar and have a beer? Opponents of the 18 year-old drinking age say it is for their (and my) own good as "alcohol-related traffic deaths of drivers under 21 dropped by 17% immediately after states increased their minimum drinking age." Under this logic we should return to the days of prohibition, as alcohol-related traffic deaths would decrease to almost zero. This argument advocating the new drinking age is misleading as " studies also show that more people ages 21 to 24 were killed after the bump in the drinking age."
Alcohol is everywhere on college. Underage students can get it from an older legal-age friend, with a fake id, at a college kegger, and many many more different ways. During my freshman year living in a dorm at the U of Minn Twin-Cities binge every Thurs, Fri, and Sat binge drinking occurred. Instead of going out to the bar for a few social drinks and then going to a party or a club, kids would get plastered and then stumble out for a night on the town.
Drinking at college will not go away. If kids cannot legally drink in the open, they will drink to extreme excess in secret. America should seriously consider raising the driving age to 18 and lowering the drinking age to 16. I know that America does not have the mass transit system that Europe does, but this could stimulate an increased interest in building and maintaining a better running system. More importantly it would teach American kids how to drink responsibly and smartly.
The 18 year-old drinking age is wrong. It is ineffective on combating 18-21 year olds drinking and it is a violation of civil rights. Change is needed. If legislators are looking for a less radical solution than lowering the drinking age to 16 and increasing the driving age to 18, they could just lower the drinking age to 19. That way kids would be out of high school. A solution is needed. The status quo is not effective.
How can people say with a straight face that 18 year-olds are competent to wield a firearm and fight for our country in Iraq, but not old enough to go to a bar and have a beer? Opponents of the 18 year-old drinking age say it is for their (and my) own good as "alcohol-related traffic deaths of drivers under 21 dropped by 17% immediately after states increased their minimum drinking age." Under this logic we should return to the days of prohibition, as alcohol-related traffic deaths would decrease to almost zero. This argument advocating the new drinking age is misleading as " studies also show that more people ages 21 to 24 were killed after the bump in the drinking age."
Alcohol is everywhere on college. Underage students can get it from an older legal-age friend, with a fake id, at a college kegger, and many many more different ways. During my freshman year living in a dorm at the U of Minn Twin-Cities binge every Thurs, Fri, and Sat binge drinking occurred. Instead of going out to the bar for a few social drinks and then going to a party or a club, kids would get plastered and then stumble out for a night on the town.
Drinking at college will not go away. If kids cannot legally drink in the open, they will drink to extreme excess in secret. America should seriously consider raising the driving age to 18 and lowering the drinking age to 16. I know that America does not have the mass transit system that Europe does, but this could stimulate an increased interest in building and maintaining a better running system. More importantly it would teach American kids how to drink responsibly and smartly.
The 18 year-old drinking age is wrong. It is ineffective on combating 18-21 year olds drinking and it is a violation of civil rights. Change is needed. If legislators are looking for a less radical solution than lowering the drinking age to 16 and increasing the driving age to 18, they could just lower the drinking age to 19. That way kids would be out of high school. A solution is needed. The status quo is not effective.
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