College Presidents Propose Lowering the Drinking Age

onewhippedpuppy · 08-20-2008, 07:07 AM

http://www.kansascity.com/153/story/756989.html

Over 100 college presidents, including major "big name colleges", have signed a document to encourage conversation on lowering the drinking age to 18. Your thoughts?

Personally, I think it's a great idea. The "forbidden fruit" aspect is a big part of the reason I and many other high school and college kids drank/drink. It removes the novelty by making it legal. At 16 (in 1996) I typically went through a 30 pack every weekend. To celebrate my 21st birthday, I had a beer (ONE) at a restaurant with several friends. Not to mention the hypocracy that you can vote at 18, fight and die for your country at 18, be considered an adult at 18, but can't drink. WTF? Kids that want to drink, drink, it's that simple, the law is no deterrant. In this case removing the law might actually make it more effective.

URY914 · 08-20-2008, 07:10 AM

We will have more drunk drivers and blood on the streets if it is lowered to 18.

Moses · 08-20-2008, 07:15 AM

Like it or not, alcohol is part of our culture. I think the real question is; when do we want young adults to learn about responsible drinking? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see an increase in drunk driving or other irresponsible behavior. We need more freedom and more accountability. Drink if you want, but if you harm someone else in the process there should be serious repercussions.

Young people who drink in bars consume far less than they would at an all night rager in someones basement. The 21 year old drinking age is just another example of the "nanny state" protecting us from ourselves. Sometimes I think we are headed for a new 20's style Prohibition.

BReif61 · 08-20-2008, 07:20 AM

The fact that the drinking age is 21 isn't stopping anyone who really wants to drink. Anyone who believes otherwise has their head in the sand.

Mo_Gearhead · 08-20-2008, 07:22 AM

If you can sign on the dotted line, join the military and perhaps DIE for your country ...you sure as he11 should be able to walk into a bar and have a beer!

onewhippedpuppy · 08-20-2008, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by URY914

We will have more drunk drivers and blood on the streets if it is lowered to 18.

Are you a MADD member?

I think you're wrong. I would argue that many of the kids that drink, drink because it's illegal. It's rebellion against the law, parents, etc. Europe is a common example because it's so relevant. Drinking isn't taboo, parents teach their kids about drinking RESPONSIBLY at an early age, and they don't have anywhere near our problems. In America you have parents like mine, who say "don't drink because it's illegal". Yeah, that worked.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I saw some idiot on the news yesterday talking about this, saying how the 21 law has saved countless thousands of lives. Well, why don't we just go back to prohibition and save even more lives then? Gawd, I hate everyone.

Moses · 08-20-2008, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BReif61

The fact that the drinking age is 21 isn't stopping anyone who really wants to drink. Anyone who believes otherwise has their head in the sand.

Exactly. Why take mainstream behavior and drive it underground?

notfarnow · 08-20-2008, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by URY914

We will have more drunk drivers and blood on the streets if it is lowered to 18.

Drinking age up here is 19.

When I read the "in the courts" section of the local paper, the guys getting busted for drunk driving are mostly in their 40's and 50's.

If you're really worried about blood on the streets, raise the legal driving age to 18 or 19. That would curtail more deaths than keeping the drinking age at 21.

Seahawk · 08-20-2008, 07:31 AM

For years military bases, at least the ones I have been associated with, have allowed military members under 21 to drink at on base all hands clubs. The rational is that is better to have them drinking on base rather than having their older shipmates buy them alcohol and set them loose out in town.

I have lived on my own since I was eighteen (when the legal age was 18) so I'm pretty much in favor of lowering the age limit, which was imposed by the feds in 1984 and was tied to highway funds for compliance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_Act

grudk · 08-20-2008, 07:44 AM

Lowering the drinking age is not going to encourage responsible behavior. It's just going to increase access and consumption. Good for Seagrams, bad for the road.

When I was in college, my frat president passed out at the wheel and killed three pedestrians. Keg in the back seat. Would it have been there if drinking age were 21 instead of 18 at the time? Maybe, maybe not. Kids have poor judgement, so limits need to be set, even if they are not entirely effective.

Christien · Christien's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by notfarnow

Drinking age up here is 19.

When I read the "in the courts" section of the local paper, the guys getting busted for drunk driving are mostly in their 40's and 50's.

If you're really worried about blood on the streets, raise the legal driving age to 18 or 19. That would curtail more deaths than keeping the drinking age at 21.

Bingo. I've been saying this for years. Drop the drinking age to 16, raise the driving age to 18 or even 21.

The US has the highest drinking age in the world, Canada the 2nd highest.

Europeans have no drinking age (in most countries, low ages in others) and take driving much more seriously. They have less problems with alcohol (except Russia and possible England) and lower injury/fatality rates on the roads. WE'RE the ones who've got it wrong.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by grudk

When I was in college, my frat president passed out at the wheel and killed three pedestrians. Keg in the back seat. Would it have been there if drinking age were 21 instead of 18 at the time? Maybe, maybe not. Kids have poor judgement, so limits need to be set, even if they are not entirely effective.

You can't really think this would not have happened if the drinking age were higher. Wasn't it already illegal then to drive while drunk?

I had a friend in college who was killed as a passenger in a drunk driver's car. She had so many good fake id's on her that the cops did not know which one was hers and could not idenrity her for a few days.

ramonesfreak · ramonesfreak's Garage

when i was in college, first year, a friend passed out and drove into a house, killing himself the first month of school. i doubt age had anything to do with it. at 14 we all drank. we obtained it by any means possible

if anything, we should lower the drinking age and increase the age requirement for obtaining a drivers license...i think there are very very few 16 year olds who are mature enough to be driving automobiles...looking back, im very surpised that i and many of my friends are still alive

Tim Hancock · 08-20-2008, 07:55 AM

I have always been against the 21 limit. I am also against the .08 limit for DUI in Ohio. Driving plastered is a crime, driving home from a restaurant after two drinks is not IMO.

stevepaa · 11:51 AM

It will take years to do, but I think a very reduced age limit at home, 14 maybe, 16 in restaurants if ordered by parent and 18 otherwise.

What I always thought was bizarre was having the drivng age and drinking age the same (18) in New York in the 60's.

Also, the college presidents may just be doing this to limit their liability.

onewhippedpuppy · 08-20-2008, 08:13 AM

Steve and I agree on something!!! I better go steal a Ferrari and have sex with twins, because the end is near!

Steve, you pretty much just outlined the plan with my kids. I want to bring them up knowing that drinking is not some taboo novelty, and teach them how to drink responsibly. I'm sure some will look down on my approach, but I have every intention of sitting down with my teenage son (he's currently 4), and having a beer with him. I want my kids to understand that alcohol, if in MODERATION and enjoyed RESPONSIBLY, is perfectly safe.

The kids I knew in high school that had parents with a similar approach were normally conservative drinkers. The kids with strict parents (such as mine) were much more prone to be plowed (like me). In retrospect, probably the smartest parents were the ones that looked the other way when their kids had friends over and there was drinking involved. There was always the stipulation that everyone there would be staying the night, much safer than a keg party 20 miles out in the country. Sadly, in this day and age that's a great way to get sued.

island911 · 08-20-2008, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moses

Like it or not, alcohol is part of our culture. I think the real question is; when do we want young adults to learn about responsible drinking? ....

As it it is now, most (afaict) already learn about drinking far before they are 21. Lowering that bar (no pun) just gets them experimenting that much earlier, and those who are 18 won't worry about being that little bit extra careful. ...a bad idea, IMO. Changing laws that will help very young adults (some still kids) get drunk has no up side. (well, other than the adults again caving to the desires of a bunch of snot-nosed me-me's)

Gogar · 08-20-2008, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevepaa

It will take years to do, but I think a very reduced age limit at home, 14 maybe, 16 in restaurants if ordered by parent and 18 otherwise.

I'm not sure how I'd feel if I saw a 14 year old drinking a beer in a restaurant, even with his/her parents. But, I bet if there were no legal drinking age, you'd rarely see it anyway. Maybe it would encourage responsible parenting, for once. I think 18 is fine though.

Colorado was one of those states where you could drink "3.2%" beer if you were 18, instead of the high-power "non-18" beer, which was about 3.5-3.6% alcohol. They got rid of that whole mess in the late 80's, and upped the age to 21.

But they never got rid of the 3.2 beer. So, it was available in supermarkets and convenience stores only, with it's specially-shaped aluminum cans. Oh, and you could buy 3.2 beer on Sunday, but not (3.4). So, you can only get "a little drunk" on Sunday. Unless you were one of those rocket surgeons who had the foresight to buy your booze on Saturday.

Am I rambling? sorry. 18 will be fine, thanks.

We shouldn't outlaw drinking, we should outlaw stupidity and irresponsibility. But then most of us would be in jail.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

The kids I knew in high school that had parents with a similar approach were normally conservative drinkers. The kids with strict parents (such as mine) were much more prone to be plowed (like me). In retrospect, probably the smartest parents were the ones that looked the other way when their kids had friends over and there was drinking involved. There was always the stipulation that everyone there would be staying the night, much safer than a keg party 20 miles out in the country. Sadly, in this day and age that's a great way to get sued.

Careful there. In MD there have been SWAT raids on families who've done this. Big fines and legal costs always come with it, not to mention the inherent danger of having ninja-wannabe cops storm your house because you gave your teenager a beer. I think it's totally OK for parents to teach their kids responsible drinking at home, but it comes with HUGE legal risks.

FWIW, I went to be an exchange student in Germany when I was 16 and I turned 17 there. Sure was tough to go back to our way of doing things until I got to college a year later, where rules and laws meant next to nothing. I was an exhange student again in Germany in college and turned 21 there. How stupid was it to get smashed for that one and end up outrunning the cops in a footchase for some other bad behavior, when it should have been nothing more than a routine b-day?