Vote Yes 4 Lower Drinking Age

The U.S. should model other countries’ restrictions, allowing “softer” liquors at one age level and the “harder” liquors at an older age level. Not only would the model follow the lower age restrictions, but would also require a shift in social cultural norms.

Countries like Germany, all of the United Kingdom, and South Korea have lower drinking ages. They tend to teach children from a young age how to drink with purpose vs. just to get drunk. Their societies focus on the quality of the experience, instead of the quantity of alcohol. In many cultures, alcohol is used to enhance meals and nurture bonds among community—family, holidays, significant milestones. On the other hand, in the U.S., alcohol consumption among youth is the central activity at parties or a way to rebel against established authority.

One way to overhaul the youthful mindset is to regulate environments that directly or indirectly contribute to underage or binge drinking and concealment of the behavior. Mark Kleiman says, “High non-compliance with MLDA 21 [the referenced state law] promotes general disrespect and non-compliance with other areas of US law and encourages young adults to acquire and use false identification documents to procure alcohol. In an era of terrorism, illegal immigration, and other national security concerns, it is better to have fewer fake IDs in circulation and more respect for the law.”[1] Supporters of this idea favor young drinkers having access to venues, like bars, that can regulate their consumption, instead of hiding in unsafe places to drink.

Providing young drinkers with better education on drinking responsibly and within moderation supports their desire to be independent and to be treated as adults.  This demographic is already inundated with advertisements and social messages by the alcohol industry. The U.S. sports and entertainment lifestyles are usually partnered with alcohol references that will make a person cool, attractive, and powerful.  Since removing this element is near to impossible, other alternative methods for altering social drinking behavior can be taken. Choose Responsibility is a program that helps with alcohol education. The program can “be taught by a certified alcohol educator, trained specifically to cover the legal, ethical, health and safety issues of the curriculum and skilled in dealing with young adults.”[2]

The current drinking age has become ineffective.  Since the drinking age was raised, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University says “MLDA 21 is largely ineffective because the majority of teens continue to consume alcohol. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, underage drinking accounts for 17.5% ($22.5 billion) of consumer spending for alcohol in the United States.[3] In 2006, 72.2% of twelfth graders reported drinking alcohol at some point in their lives.”[4]

What exactly is the problem with lowering the drinking age? Is it really about deciding that alcohol consumption is an adult activity? Was it lowered only because this group had no political clout to protest being the target?  How can an eighteen year old be old enough to serve in the military, old enough to get married, old enough to vote in the political process, old enough to be considered independent from their parents, old enough to sign contracts? But suddenly, their ability to think, choose, and be responsible to drink is on a higher threshold.  Where’s a Super PAC when you need one?

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[1] Mark Kleiman, "Of Amethysts and Fake ID's," Aug. 20, 2008

[2] Modified slightly from "license" at chooseresponsibility.org/license/

[3] "The Commercial Value of Underage and Pathological Drinking to the Alcohol Industry," National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, May 2006

[4] Charlie Covey, "Drinking Age Requires Necessary and Proper Action," www.youthfacts.org, Nov. 11, 2007