It may seem counterintuitive, but John McCardell, president emeritus of Middlebury College in Vermont, might be on to something about why to lower the drinking age, as George Will discussed in his recent Washington Post column.
The usual argument for lowering the legal drinking age to 18 is: "I can vote, go to war, adopt a child — why can’t I buy a beer?" McCardell’s argument, which stems from years of observing students on a college campus, is that underage drinking is happening, has always happened and will continue to happen. So why not lower the legal drinking age to 18, when most students are still under parental influence and supervision, and the issue can be addressed, much like driving, as a privilege that must be used responsibly?
Parents who fool themselves into thinking that their children will not drink alcohol until they are 21 are doing their children a disservice. It is the parents’ duty to prepare their children to become informed, responsible adults.
Posted by Patrice Hein
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55 Comments
One reason is not all teenagers have fully matured physically or emotionally. They still have the “invincibility” syndrome when they are that age.
Drinking alcohol and being responsible is different that the ability by law to be able to drink.
There are religious customs or family traditions that some of the population use to justify their drinking. Nothing wrong with that at all.
But to use an age as a guide marker where no guidance is provided is just dumb. Being able to by a six pack is not a sign of maturity. There’s more to it than that.
Not all 21 year olds are mature either. If you old enough to serve, old enough to vote, old enough to enter into contracts, you are old enough to drink. Period
Even if the age limit for drinking is not changed, there should be a new law to allow anyone serving (or after they get out) in our Military to buy alcohol regardless of their age.
Support our troops – let them have the legal right to celebrate their victories with a beer or champagne.
Military facilities have different rules as they are on Federal Land.
I remember on one base I was on, military members under 21 could buy beer, but they couldn’t buy hard liquor because the hard liquor was licensed by the state which set the rules.
So the 19 year old one legged Iraqi army vet can’t drink a beer because the government says he’s still a child? I’ve also wondered say someones 20 gets busted for having beer since the crime is possession by a minor does he go to juvenile court? or someone 25 married to someone 20 is it against the law to give your minor spouse alcohol?
In kansas, over 18 but less than 21 goes to regulr court, but with a special charge as I recall
I do agree some 18 yr. olds are not matture enough to drink but- either are some that are over 21 as well. I think if your not a mentally stable person stay away from the booze for one, it causes more problems doesn’t solve them like some think – cry in your beer. People should know better about driving drunk and so on no matter what age.
Having several friends in the military, I know you can’t buy beer on base either if your under 21. i believe that the 21 law is mandated by the federal government if states don’t follow they lose all sorts of funding.
You are right as to effect, and I think you are right about the cause. I believe they were blackmailed using DOT funds
Why not make it fourteen? A girl can kill her baby at 14, why can’t she do a couple shots afterword to celebrate? Ah, but that is a different thread isn’t it?I agree with the military thing though. I tell you what I was a snot nosed punk until after I went thru basic training. Matures you with a quickness. Most of today’s 18 yr olds right out of high school though? They aren’t responsible enough to drive a car, much less intoxicate themselves.
I still maintain that since They can and often do have the responsiblity of an adult, they should have the “priviledges” Responsibility and maturity regardless.
My ex step dad is in his 50’s and ex-military and he still isn’t mature enough to drink. So making a arbitrary age for drinking that isn’t 18 is stupid.
“The minimum drinking age on a DoD installation located outside the United States shall be 18 years of age. Higher minimum drinking age will be based on international treaties and agreements and on the local situation as determined by the local installation commander.
The commander of a DoD installation may waive the above requirements, if such commander determines that the exemption is justified by special circumstances. Special circumstances are those infrequent, non-routine military occasions when an entire unit, as a group, marks at a military installation a uniquely military occasion such as the conclusion of arduous military duty or the anniversary of the establishment of a military service or organization. The event must be held on a military installation. The commander shall ensure that appropriate controls are in place to prevent endangering Military Service members or the surrounding community. ”
One note: The Installation Commander has to get permission from the Secretary of the Air Force, for ‘parties’ sponsored by the installation.
At 18 the people were considered mature enough to be drafted, carry an assault rifle and kill strangers in Vietnam. Back then they could buy beer at 18 too. Now they can still go into the military, carry an assault rifle, kill strangers in Iraq but can’t buy a beer because they are considered too immature.
On the other hand at 18 they can get married, drive, buy a house, go to college, start a career and run for political office. Yet despite all that they still can’t purchase alcohol. However at 21 this all magically changes and they instantly are able to handle the most ultimate responsibility, have a Mai Tai at TJI Fridays.
Repub, nice post, but what is it and where is it from?
Must be a room of non smokers…..lol You can start to kill yourself legally. At 18 you can buy a pack of cigarettes. I think that comparison deserves attention to.
US Military about dot com
I didn’t feel like fighting with the capcha posting a hyperlink.
We are only 1 of 4 countries that have 21 as a legal age. Other than the usual Islamic theocratic states, and they have beheadings and AK47’s to worry with so I dont think a beer would hurt. The rest of the world IF they even have an age is 14 or 16. This stops it from being the “forbidden fruit” run out and drink all I can get my hands on issue.
My daughter went on a school trip to Paris when in high school, was aghast that the McDonalds had a Wine menu and wine racks lined the entire store. Which Im sure would have caused the local Baptists from around here’s heads to explode.
And you have to take into consideration who pushes this “BINGE” drinking concept. It is pushed by Jimmy Carters old buddy, Joe Califano from CASA which is an advocacy group that sees substance abuse in anything, so they have a reason to push this.
Do you know what they define as a “BINGE”? Its when a Male drinks 4 beers, and a Female has 3. So Binge on folks.
So, when football season starts, guess where our family will be….on a binge in front of the big screen.
This CASA group has a sordid history of pushing nonsense studies
http://activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm?oid=318
- Professor David J. Hanson, who has spent over 25 years studying drinking patterns among young people, told reporters that CASA’s “Teen Tipplers” report was “a political report, not a scientific study,” and declared that its research standards and methods “aren’t even acceptable at the undergraduate level.” He added that CASA has a tendency to “misinform the public, and diminish the credibility of all research in the field.”
I will be “binging” at Arrowhead in the Fall. Anyone want to join me?
Dr. McCardell is correct in his asssertions concerning “underage” drinking. It’s gone on, goes on, and will continue in futuro.
Bringing the legal age to 18 makes sense to me. One other observation I’d share concerning colleges and universities.
On the campus of Colby College where the younger daughter attends, which is a peer institution of Middlebury College, once a month in one of the student dining halls there is the opportunity for those of legal age to purchase a glass of wine or (IIRC) up to two beers to have with dinner. These students are dining in a separate room from the general dining hall. The idea behind this is to encourage some responsibility in the consumption of alcohol in a social setting, in the hopes of discouraging abuse. It is also done to recognize the reality that those students who have studied abroad their junior year have, if they have chosen to do so, become somewhat accustomed to this freedom.
The college also has a “pub” on campus, open limited hours and available to those students of legal drinking age to buy a beer, etc., thereby discouraging them from going off campus and hopefully aleviating DUI concerns.
Whether the legal drinking age is lowered to 18 or not, I think programs such as the one at Colby should be reviewed and encouraged to promote responsible consumption of alcohol in a social setting. I would further hope that normalization of this behavior could avoid the serious consequences of overindulgence among students seeking the “forbidden fruit”.
Patrice,
Bad parenting advice. What parent wants to drink alcohol with their kids? Introduce it as lifestyle.
Everyone wastes money on beer, its not a value purchase. Some think wine has health benefits, but not guzzling bottles every night is reasonable for families.
Alcohol is a addiction. People have to drink more than one glass, couple of cans and bottles, then the 12 pack and a keg.
Use the funnel and crank the songs on the stereo! Beer is a party, not a sit around and quietly sip the fluids.
Adults can try to act responsibily because as younger people they abused alcohol in crazy ways.
Wrecked cars and themselves driving. Caused others trauma situations. Some puke from alcohol abuse and thats always fun.
When younger people or any one is emotional, adding alcohol to their sensibilities can go badly.
I was legal to drink beer at 18. I loved .05 cent pitchers of beers at bars. Two for one mega sized margaritas.
Pass out from partying all night long, drunk. Its not pretty or comfortable, eyes closed but a lot of spinning is occurring.
Is not worth the trouble. 21 is a good age.
18 shouldn’t be the age where soldiers are on the front lines if it can be helped. 18 can join the military, but 21 and older should be the fighting force in war zones.
Give children some chance to be young and not come home injured from war at 19. It’s too tragic for their future.
18 is mature enough they should vote and it matters to the country.
Some think 18 is best age to get a full drivers license. I don’t think adding beer to that age will help.
16 year olds are too often wrecking cars.
No parent believes kids won’t try to drink.
Parents who don’t drink shouldn’t accept their kids drinking until their 21.
Mrage…..do you know that a keg of beer is 1870 ounces of beer. Please let me know who is knocking these out on a regular basis. I will pay for the rehab myself.
When I am King, 18 year olds will be allowed to drink.
Mike,
It took me and 5 friends, then more would join on a weekly basis to buy kegs of beer. Friday or Saturday night ritual. In high school.
12 packs, become 24 packs. I was spending $50 a weekend drinking.
I never got addicted, I don’t drink that often now.
Some did become alcoholics because their parents were alcoholics.
Might parents never drank. There wasn’t beer in the fridge as I was growing up.
Like I said……show me a person that can knock out a keg and I will pay for the rehab out of my own pocket. I know that groups get together and drink. And as a former bar owner I know how much beer is in a keg. I would be very impressed if even 5 people could knock out a keg in one night. Thats 374 ounces a piece.
Hey Mike,I don’t want the rehab, but would you consider paying for the keg?
Surely she is not saying hat only 5 people drank en entire keg? Maybe it was a pony?
The drinking age will never revert to 18 until the morality police at MADD relinquish their undue political influence. I understand that they started out as an ostensibly altruistic group, but with twenty years of basically setting federal and state law under their belts, their heads have grown to massive size. I saw the president of MADD being interviewed on TV – she basically said that any drinking whatsoever is alcoholism. She definitely came off as a fascist police-state-supporting type. And the politicians who could effect change shake in their boots at the thought of tussling with MADD. Pretty sad that this political cartel has that much clout.
Sometimes my typing seems like I’m drinking…
My parents never drank.
My best friend, his parents drank all the time. They smoked too. Abused both things, but he didn’t get addicted at all.
He got drunk, let others drive his parents cars to get beer and they wrecked. His parents would explode, that happened three time with their cars.
Beer runs were always fun, racing around getting the liquour stores before they closed. I was very lucky didn’t wreck and hurt other people.
Some alcohol, the foot gets heavier on the gas pedal.
18 and drinking in bars, too many get in trouble with alcohol in their immature bodies.
Mike,
The party would start at 3pm right after high school was out. Some of us had to play sports, but others collected the beer for the after games party.
Then go all night long, sometimes until dawn the next day. We had films from games on Saturday mornings, a lot of us never slept the night or was hungover.
The age to buy alcohol should be 18.
The age to buy cigarettes should be 91.
The age to participate in military exercises should be 65 – for all countries.
The maximum age for politicians should be 12.
The only solution to all this stupid rhetoric about underage drinking is to stop producing alcohol. No one should be drinking. You CAN live without it. It does NOT enhance your life in any way, shape or form. Same with cigarettes.
I started drinking alcohol socially at about age 13. My parents had plenty of booze around the house and I just helped myself.
When I got to college and saw how people were drinking, I was totally appalled: chugging beer and throwing up and chugging more beer and passing out.
It was grotesque.
It couldn’t be any worse than it is now. It’s worth a try to change the law.
80 years old okay to drink.
When I was in college I worked at the door of a nightclub on Rush Street in Chicago. You get to experience things and see the way certain groups of people act. I can say this- 80% of the trouble we had in the club and on Rush street was caused by men under 25 years old. Unflrtunately a fair amount of it was caused by young men from the Great Lakes Naval base because for some reason they had a pack mentality when they came to town to party. As an ex military man myself, I would try to reason with them. Sometimes you could, sometimes not. On the other hand women rarely caused any trouble. So, if it were up to me, the drinking age would be raised to 25 for men and lowered back to 18 for women. But I do understand arguments on the other side too- especially when it comes to war vets in the military. But until you have had to deal with a dozen or so drunken sailors, watch what you wish for.
Most crime is caused by people under the age of 25, alcohol adds to the problem of course. However, if I’m to understand conservatives correctly the solution is more alcohol as more guns is supposed to solve gun related violence.
“…more alcohol as more guns is supposed to solve gun related violence.”
doug is not very good at this.
“I was legal to drink beer at 18. I loved .05 cent pitchers of beers at bars. Two for one mega sized margaritas. ”
I drank illegally when I was 16. A few of us at East High used to be part of the “Boones Farm” club and at night we’d gather in a basement or a car and get about 4 bottles of Boones Farm Apple Wine and drink till we was sick sometimes. Often we would gather at my friend Perry’s house over on Erie Street and drink and listen to heavy metal until dawn. And since Perry’s dad owned a bar on Douglas Street (called Okies as I recall), getting the stuff was easy. We was all young and stupid back then!
When I was 17 with a fake ID before I entered the military, the places to hang out and drink 3.2 beer were the Stagedoor Inn on Harry and The Casino out on Hillside. Both of the places had rockin house bands and cheap covers!
Alcohol, nudity, and sex have the same problem in America: highly vocal, fiercly religious opponents.
The rhetoric that the people preach against the 3 things I listed above does little to curb any of them. Rather, it leads to immature, unsafe, reckless use of them.
If you look at any other country in the world where those things are not considered to be problematic you will find that they are considered natural, normal parts of life.
The are all pretty normal in Europe anyway!
Make booze illegal and legalize pot.
Kansas could have a new agricultural export political_mom
Coffee at 4Beer at 12Cigarettes at 14Marijuana and other drugs at 15Hard liquor at 18Started working hard work at 25Today just good food, fresh air and clean at 50.Sorry, I am one of those people that have hit it hard at the beginning and slowly drifted away from all of it.Kids see it, it is all around them and they will be curious about it but what would keep them from falling into a trap with it, is to keep them busy with something productive, something positive, something that they can call it their own and a little good luck.
I was too wiseman. I’m really quite lucky to be alive.
I don’t do anything bad anymore except smoke, and hell anymore that is classified right up there with a heroin addict.
“The only solution to all this stupid rhetoric about underage drinking is to stop producing alcohol. No one should be drinking. You CAN live without it. It does NOT enhance your life in any way, shape or form. Same with cigarettes.”I think we tried that once. It’s only lasting effect was to expand organized crime from New York City to nationwide.Personally, I don’t care if the drinking age is 80. I never drank much, and don’t at all anymore.The problem arises when society thinks it can ban something. In a democracy, it takes a simple majority to agree to make a law. Unfortunately, in practice it takes a much larger majority to make a law enforceable- somewhere between 85-95%. Any less, and violations simply overwhelm the system. Look at our 40 year War on Drugs and it’s millions of arrests; Given that it’s still easier for a kid to get a vial or baggie of whatever than a decent chocolate malt, I’d say it’s an unmitigated disaster that has corrupted our entire law enforcement community and much of our business and political community for nothing. The last thing we need now is another round of prohibition!
When I was 17 with a fake ID before I entered the military, the places to hang out and drink 3.2 beer were the Stagedoor Inn on Harry and The Casino out on Hillside. Both of the places had rockin house bands and cheap covers!
I remember! (well, sortof)
“Alcohol, nudity, and sex have the same problem in America: highly vocal, fiercly religious opponents.”
Alcohol and sex has ruined many lives of the centuries. THat why many fiercely religious opponents rail against it. Alcohol i can live without, though occasionally imbibe. Sex, well, I am married. DOes that count?
Nudity? In my opinion, most bodies should be covered, for public decency and holding down my breakfast(mine included)
littlejohn your comment exemplifies why there are problems with those things in America
Brian,
What point are you trying to make? Unfortnately, and of my own fault, i am missing it.
Now that my youngest is 21 (04-02-07) I don’t have to argue this point. However, I believe the drinking age should stay right where it is. My son says lowering the drink age would only invite more irresponsible persons to get behind the wheel, causing more accidents and creating more injuries. He is a bartender at a popular nightspot in Lawrence. According to him more drunken incidents are caused by underage drinkers at his establishment. Its’ fact that those under the age of 21 create the most trouble. Lowering the age only means legalizing those now illegal to drink. I remember when I wanted to drink at 18. But when 21 finally arrived it wasn’t such a big deal. The luster had worn off. I still think of 21 being the age for becoming an adult. Let’s keep it that way!!!
The age of consent for whatever needs to be leveled. I agree, if you are old enough to go to foreign countries and kill the natives there, then you should be able to buy a drink. Let’s please leave all this crap about maturity out of the equation. A 65 yr. old man,drunk and acting a fool, is not exactly a picture of maturity. And as far as MORALITY goes. Rubbish. The only thing morality laws are good for is control over those who have the temerity to think differently than you. 18, 21, 35, 65, I do not care. Just make it a level age across the board.
1968 – The Green Door in Ark City. A short drive north of Ponca City Oklahoma.
At 18 the government considers persons to be adult for purposes of signing contracts, criminal charges, marriage, cigarettes, military fighting, tattoos, bungee jumping, etc etc
There is no valid reason why the government should grant those and many other rights and responsibilities at the age of 18, but withhold the ability to purchase alcohol.
My best friend’s oldest son joined the Navy, got out high school early in January.
Stories of Navy sailors fighting in bars is legendary. As all armed forces fighting in bars, could happen He’s a 6 ft kid and pretty well built. Bigger than his dad, now.
Don’t know how the Navy is going to change him. The experiences he’ll have while America has multiple wars going on.
I still don’t think he should be drinking legally.
There is a mental and body maturity between 18 and 21 in some people.
In high school, thats not a good age anymore to legalize alcohol.
Consider fights, they used to be mostly fists. Now its guns.
People don’t fight the same anymore in the street. Beer muscles happen.
Maturity allows some feelings, its not necessary to get drunk anymore, as often.
Teenager years, everything is trying to be experienced.
Some experiment with addictive things, alcohol is one of them.
What’s the point rushing alcohol on a healthy child? 18 year olds are young children to most parents.
It’s safer to keep alcohol to age 21.
When I see my friend’s son from now on, its not like I’m taking him the bar for a beer yet.
I may not see him again, until he’s 21. He’ll be 19 later this year.
How ’bout a compromise?One of the problems teens today face is the confusion over who’s adult and who isn’t. Puberty is 11-12, drivers license, age of consent-16, contractual rights, voting and military eligibility-18, drinking-21, etc. Maybe we should take a cue from the “primitive” cultures who have a test and rite of passage and a clear demarcation between childhood and adult privilege.What if we make the earning of that vital High School Diploma the gateway to all that is adult?