Lowering the Drinking Age?
September 6, 2008 at 9:49 pm | In Uncategorized | 5 CommentsThis weekend I filled in on Saturday night, and did a story down in Lower Greenville about a debate brewing on the national circuit.
Should we lower the drinking age? This topic comes up periodically, usually in times of war, when 18-year-olds are sent to fight for our country. This weekend Mothers Against Drunk Driving held its national conference in Dallas, where they discussed (and strongly opposed) the idea of a lower drinking age.
Here are the two primary arguments I have found…
Against: younger drinkers are not as responsible, therefore the number of drunk driving accidents would increase.
Support: if you can vote and fight a war, you should be able to drink.
I’m curious to know how viewers feel about this topic.
I believe before we could EVER lower the age, Americans would have to change their perception of alcohol.
During high school, I had European exchange students live with my family. One boy was from Germany, and started drinking around 16. He came to the U.S. and was blown away by the American teenager’s view of alcohol. He says in Germany, people do not binge drink, and most do not drink to get drunk. Not the case in America, where teenagers drink as a form of rebellion… and those who wait until they’re 21, end up drinking themselves silly.
Here’s an interesting article in USA Today about the 21-year-old binge: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-08-27-drinking-21_N.htm
Something else that would have to change before we could lower the drinking age: cities would HAVE to adopt better mass transit systems. In Germany they have fewer drunk driving accidents because fewer drunks are driving! A lot more people depend on public transportation there, and so they aren’t leaving a bar and getting behind the wheel.
Now, I know both of my scenarios are unlikely… Mass transit is very expensive for cities to operate, and changing a teenager’s perception on anything is a nearly impossible task! But just some food for thought.
5 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
- Visit the other NBC 5 Blogs by clicking this icon.
Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.
Kids are going to drink whether the law says 18 or 21. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I think the real problem is drunk driving. How many times do we forgive a DUI? I think after the 2nd or 3rd arrest, they should never be allowed to drive again. They have proven that they can’t be trusted behind the wheel.
Comment by Spencer — September 8, 2008 #
The current high drinking age is an invitation and encouragement for binge drinking. There are so many teenagers who start using drugs because they are easier to get than alcohol. I put the vast majority of the blame for these problems on ‘no backbone’ politians and MADD. MADD is responsible for targeting casual drinkers with the .08 change instead of the drunks who kill the innocent. MADD is responsible for getting the law changed so young men and women can die for our country, but they can’t have a beer. MADD is also harrassing Texas politicians every year to force the hard working police officers in Texas to set up unconstitutional road blocks to stop innocent people without probable cause just in case they had a margarita with dinner. MADD is not a support group to help people, MADD has become a bullying bunch of control monsters.
Comment by Bobby — September 9, 2008 #
The “old enough to defend your country should be old enough to drink” sentiment is an emotional non-sequitur, not a valid argument for lowering the drinking age. Eighteen year olds who serve our country also don’t have much credit history, maintain 401(k) accounts, own homes, or exhibit many of the other signs of maturity and responsibility accepted in our society. They pay higher insurance premiums to an industry that deems them a greater risk based on years of statistical analysis of their behavior. It’s not that they’re necessarily irresponsible on an individual basis, or even as a group – it’s just that they’re not recognized as “adults” in many other aspects of life, either. By the same token, the fact that they’ve admirably signed up to defend our nation doesn’t magically impart a sense of maturity or responsibility – a responsibility that according the current law is better represented in the average 21 year old. And I say all this as a veteran, who served with many 18 year-olds who were second to none in fulfillment of their military duties, but – if I had to make a generalization – were more prone to questionable judgment and behavior after a few beers than someone a few years older. And if the perceived injustice bothers anyone that much, know that in many cases the military has allowed its underage members to drink on-base…typically until someone (and there’s always someone) does something stupid and blows it for everyone else – but generally reinforcing the argument that responsibility and judgment increase with age.
Comment by Brian — September 11, 2008 #
This has “double edged sword” written all over it. I guess there will need to guidelines either way.
More importantly…when is the next blog coming!?
Comment by Gary — September 18, 2008 #
Thanks everyone for the comments! Some very thought out arguements and very good points.
I don’t know what the solution is, but I think there is definitely a problem with underage drinkers and with drunk drivers.
Finally, Gary — ask and you shall receive! The blogging reporter has returned!!!
Sorry for the brief period where I went M.I.A.
Comment by melissanewton — September 25, 2008 #