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Should the United States lower the drinking age from 21 to 18? Benj Steinman reports on the beer drinking age debate in his daily publication, Beer Marketers Insights Express, based out of New York City.
Steinman reported yesterday: Brewing for two years among academics, policymakers, some politicians and media, [the] debate over whether to lower the minimum drinking age took next step with segment on 60 Minutes this Sunday past.
Reporter Lesley Stahl gave first and last word to John McCardell, ex-president of Middlebury College who started "Choose Responsibility" group to keep debate going. McCardell calls current law "an abysmal failure," "bad law…bad social policy" that "hasn't reduced or eliminated drinking. It has simply driven it underground."
He got support from Boulder, Colorado police chief who says enforcement of current law "not effective." Chief added: "The abuse of alcohol and the over-consumption of alcohol and DUI driving…are the areas we've got to focus our efforts. Not on chasing kids around trying to give them a ticket for having a cup of beer in their hand." Stahl interviewed parents of 18-yr-old college freshman who died during a fraternity ritual in 2004. They believe if drinking age had been 18, frat mates may have called for help earlier and saved his life.
MADD's executive director Chuck Hurley countered that lowering the drinking age (in the 70s) was a "public health disaster…. The inconvenient truth is that a drinking age at 18 would cause more funerals. Nine hundred families a year would have to bury a teenager." On his side: AMA, Surgeon General, traffic safety groups and public opinion.
Hurley agreed MADD's goal is to "eliminate all drinking among people under 21." McCardell notes non-traffic deaths have increased among underage since law changed and suggested education, testing and licensing of younger drinkers is [a] way to proceed. "We know Prohibition doesn't work" and 21 is "prohibition on young adults."
Recalling how 60 Minutes' coverage of French Paradox story years ago radically changed debate on alcohol and health and introduced millions to benefits of moderate consumption, it will be interesting to see if minimum age segment has anywhere near [the] same impact.
From Beer Marketers Insights Express February 23, 2009
Comments
Thanks for getting a little political, Charlie. Great, necessary post.
I remember well the day when the drinking age was raised from 18 to 21 because I was already 19 and had been legally drinking in bars for over a year and then they took the right away. Did it stop me from drinking? No. It essentially forced me to stock up prior to the law change and then I drank "underground".
Either raise the driving age to 21 and have all adult priveleges given at that age or lower the age to 18 for all adult priveleges.
If MADD is focused on eliminating drunk driving by under age drinkers then simply raise the driving age to 21. Good luck getting that passed! Our auto insurance rate would certainly have to go down then. But insurance companies wouldn't like that would they?
Tough call. Both sides of the issue have points. The majority of the world has the age set at 18. Only a few countries have it set higher or ban it altogether.
The country is on the verge of bankruptcy once it goes bankrupt don't expect it to be enforced.
Most countries don't enforce their drinking ages except the US and Canada.
The drinking age is a bread and circuses issue while the bankers and politicians are robbing the treasury.
Plus there is always the fact that biological adults drink anyway.
While I support doing away with a drinking age altogether, I do want to note that this country seems to have been built on compromise. Seems we've forgotten the art of compromising.
Might I suggest a compromise in this case? Why don't we do something like the following?
Minimum age for the purchase of...
Wine coolers: 16
Beer: 18
Wine: 20
Spirits & other alcohol: 21
Minors may drink beer or wine under the supervision of their parent or legal guardian.
No one under 21 may drive with a blood alcohol level over 0.0%, and leave the current blood alcohol level limits as is for over 21.
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