A Spirited Debate On A Lower Drinking Age

More Than 100 College Presidents Say Reducing Drinking Age From 21 May Cut Binge Drinking

(CBS/AP)  "I remember college campuses when we had 18-year-old drinking ages, and I honestly believe we've made some progress," Shalala said in a telephone interview. "To just shift it back down to the high schools makes no sense at all."

McCardell claims that his experiences as a president and a parent, as well as a historian studying Prohibition, have persuaded him the drinking age isn't working.

But critics say McCardell has badly misrepresented the research by suggesting that the decision to raise the drinking age from 18 to 21 may not have saved lives.

In fact, MADD CEO Chuck Hurley said, nearly all peer-reviewed studies looking at the change showed raising the drinking age reduced drunk-driving deaths. A survey of research from the U.S. and other countries by the Centers for Disease Control and others reached the same conclusion.

McCardell cites the work of Alexander Wagenaar, a University of Florida epidemiologist and expert on how changes in the drinking age affect safety. But Wagenaar himself sides with MADD in the debate.

The college presidents "see a problem of drinking on college campuses, and they don't want to deal with it," Wagenaar said in a telephone interview. "It's really unfortunate, but the science is very clear."

Another scholar who has extensively researched college binge-drinking also criticized the presidents' initiative.

"I understand why colleges are doing it, because it splits their students, and they like to treat them all alike rather than having to card some of them. It's a nuisance to them," said Henry Wechsler of the Harvard School of Public Health.

But, "I wish these college presidents sat around and tried to work out ways to deal with the problem on their campus rather than try to eliminate the problem by defining it out of existence," he said.

Duke faced accusations of ignoring the heavy drinking that formed the backdrop of 2006 rape allegations against three lacrosse players. The rape allegations proved to be a hoax, but the alcohol-fueled party was never disputed.

Duke senior Wey Ruepten said university officials should accept the reality that students are going to drink and give them the responsibility that comes with alcohol.

"If you treat students like children, they're going to act like children," he said.

Duke President Richard Brodhead declined an interview request. But he wrote in a statement on the Amethyst Initiative's Web site that the 21-year-old drinking age "pushes drinking into hiding, heightening its risks." It also prevents school officials "from addressing drinking with students as an issue of responsible choice."

Hurley, of MADD, has a different take on the presidents.

"They're waving the white flag," he said.


Additional Information:

From the Task Force of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges

[hellol69]

I really think lowering the drinking age would be a good idea. At first? Of course not. In the beginning, things would get worse, before the widespread fascination with the change would wear off.

If nothing else, think of it this way: If drinking for these people is illegal until they turn 21, and they are determined to drink, they're going to do it. Somehow, they'll find a way. Unfortunately, the people they would be forced to associate to do so are much more likely to indulge in other legal activities (anything from weed all the way up to heroin), and makes more dangerous substances easily acceptable. Once they fall into such a crowd and harder drugs become more available, they become much more tempting. If the law allowed an eighteen year old to drink, he or she might not be as tempted to partake in drugs.

Personally, I'm nineteen years old. I would love to sit down at a nice dinner and enjoy a glass of Belgian wine or an equivalent with dinner. Not a lot of my friends care for wine, really, but I guess I'm impatient to turn 21 so I can indulge in a fancy dinner or two. I may just be the minority in this, though.

Someone earlier tried to argue that if everyone began stealing, people might begin to try to have it legalized. The difference with drinking and stealing (or with drugs like marijuana) is that it is illegal for any single person, regardless of their age. It's not as if a teenager comes to an age where they are suddenly allowed free range of the local electronics stores, and steal until they pass out.

Moreover, there will always be stupid people or responsible people, and that applies to every age group. The argument that 'more teenagers will go plumb wild' is almost a moot point for that reason; older adults aren't always the more reliable, example-setting group. Lastly, I do believe someone has already made this point, but if an eighteen-year-old can cast a ballot to decide the fate of his country, join the military and/or die overseas, maneuver large vehicles weighing multiple tons through heavy and fast-paced traffic, buy cigarettes, adult material, further their education, and be completely emancipated from their parents, why can they not drink?

[wndrgmom]

I feel like I just woke up from a bad dream. This is the worst possible idea to lower the drinking age. Colleges need to step up their consequences for underage drinking. Students should know that if they are caught drinking under 21 they will be kicked out of school. Part of being an adult is making responsible decisions. If these 18-20 yr olds can''t control their behavior why would the administration just throw up their hands and say "go ahead, and drink " except to make it easier on themselves. Binge drinking is irresponsible and dangerous. Students have become alcohol abusers, committed other crimes while under the influence and sadly some have even died. If these students are also receiving gov. funding to assist with their education, they need to work with all their faculties intact. I hope the age for drinking will not be lowered. I for one will object.

[wndrgmom]

I feel like I just woke up from a bad dream. This is the worst possible idea to lower the drinking age. Colleges need to step up their consequences for underage drinking. Students should know that if they are caught drinking under 21 they will be kicked out of school. Part of being an adult is making responsible decisions. If these 18-20 yr olds can''t control their behavior why would the administration just throw up their hands and say "go ahead, and drink " except to make it easier on themselves. Binge drinking is irresponsible and dangerous. Students have become alcohol abusers, committed other crimes while under the influence and sadly some have even died. If these students are also receiving gov. funding to assist with their education, they need to work with all their faculties intact. I hope the age for drinking will not be lowered. I for one will object.

[honestabe8]

Again!

Legalize pot and the reduction of drunk driving will definitely increase.

One substance makes people agressive, the other passive. Which is a greater danger on our roads?

[joberg03]

again!

Change the driving age! and the reduction of Drunk Driving will defintaly decrease!

ALSO offer cheaper and more convienant ways of public transportation, so that ALL AGES can take advantage of the ideas, so that people can get home safer.

Look at the Europeans, they know what they are doing.

You don''t see young people in cars over there.....

[honestabe8]

Voltaire: It would cut down on domestic assaults, and violence in general seems to be linked to alcohol consumption

[kansas1946]

While petitions are being circulated on some campuses to lower the legal drinking age, other activists say such a move would only cost more young lives to alcohol and alcohol-related accidents.

***********************************

Come on kids. Smarten up. My generation gave you the vote, it was 21 until Viet Nam, now all you have to do if you want the drinking age lowered is support candidates that take that position. The reason 18-21 year olds don''t have a voice is because the rarely vote. Petitions are fine, but you have to back them up with threats of massive voter turn-outs.

[sistatee-2009]

The college presidents hate Big Oil, but apparently they have no problem with Big Alcohol.

[u-r-right]

I kid. I kid. I think today''s 18 year olds act like they are less mature than when I was the same age in the early 80''s. If you serve in the military or other high stress, life threatening job, then by all means, drink up. If you drink and drive, you should lose the privledge indefinitely.

[u-r-right]

Why I did some of my best drinking when I was 18. Once I hit 40, I had to cut way down because it gave me heartburn. Enjoy it while you can.

[honestabe8]

the alcohol companies and their lobbyists would not allow the drinking age up to 28. for the same reason that they do not want pot as a legal alternative to their poison, they would lose money. drug free america, my ever growing arse.

[honestabe8]

republic1776: i agree. sometimes i think that "to fine and collect" should be on police vehicles instead of "to serve and protect". it seems more appropriate sometimes

[stupidrules3]

When I was 18 it was legal for me to drink and I did. I started when I was 17 because it was easy to get. Lowering the legal age would make it easier for 16 and 17 year olds to get drunk. I''m glad I survived some of the stupid things I did then and I finally grew out of the drinking thing. Today''s teens are not mature enough to handle drinking,just as I was not. I have supervised many of them and they haven''t been taught accountability or responsibility by their parents. I even wonder if they are mature enough to drive at 16.

[downsteamjim]

I have always felt that the age should be up to the state not the feds. This certainly falls under rights left to the states. As far as the binge drinking, it started along time before 1984 and does not miraculously stop when a person reaches 21.

[republic1776]

mclam010,
I agree...
See the Government and all of thier fat chinned cronies need to "middle man" it.
Lots of Money to be made.
Finding ways to get our money is what our Government does best!

[hypnotoad72]

Raise it to 28 for adults. High school kids have no business driving -- too young, reckless, impudent, and irresponsible. I''ve seen and encountered enough on the roads already.

Let it stay 18 for military personnel.

[hypnotoad72]

Raise it to 28 for adults. High school kids have no business driving -- too young, reckless, impudent, and irresponsible. I''ve seen and encountered enough on the roads already.

Let it stay 18 for military personnel.

[freckster]

The universities want to absolve themselves of the responsibility of underage drinking on their campuses. The liability to them has been great.

I was of legal drinking age in college, as were the crowd I hung with. We partied and binged. Lowering the drinking age does not solve the problem.

[peacedreamer-2009]

I guess instead of debating the way to give the kids the best possible educations and getting the US on an educational par with the rest of the world again, all they can do is debate lowering the age at which a person can legally get drunk. This is a symptom of the dumbing down of America.

[haoli25]

Hmmm... Can''''t drink a beer if you are 18, but you can murder your baby.
As Art Carney use to say on Laugh-in, " Very intersting, butstupid''. Posted by far_point200


Put down the bottle, Sparky. ART CARNEY was on the HONEYMOONERS, Artie JOHNSON was on Laugh-In.