Lower The Drinking Age? How Would That Help?

Does the drinking age law contribute to irresponsible use of alcohol by underage drinkers? Would lowering the drinking age to 18 solve the problem? Choose Responsibility thinks so. John McCardell, their President, has been making this argument in some recent TV interviews. You can watch his appearance on The Colbert Report below.

On the plus side, they’re in favor of more education on responsible drinking, but that’s really all I can agree with them on. “Alcohol is a reality in the lives of young Americans,” they say. “It cannot be denied, ignored, or legislated away.” So, because young people are going to drink anyway, you want to make it easier for them?

Let’s say that adults 18-20 no longer had to do their drinking “underground.” They won’t want to binge drink anymore? Beer pong will go away? What about teen drinking? If we changed the law, exactly how would that help?

100,000 deaths a year are attributed to alcohol, as The Discovering Alcoholic reminded us last week. What do we need to do differently, in order to change this statistic? I don’t know the answer, but I’m pretty sure lowering the drinking age is the wrong one.

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John McCardell
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