May 1st 2008 By Anthony Layser

7 States Consider Lowering the Drinking Age

(Our happy-hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.)

Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Vermont are debating legislation or planning ballot initiatives that would lower the drinking age.

Proponents of the change have been aided by the argument that it's unfair to consider men and women mature enough to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, but not responsible enough to buy alcohol legally.

Opposition is fierce, with organizations including Mothers Against Drunk Driving lining up to thwart the efforts of groups like Missouri 18 to Drink.

No matter what, the outcome of the clash will be determined over the coming months. Meanwhile, look for the number of college applications to spike in Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Vermont.

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Thursday 01 May

By Cherry

Highest Rank

If they had any sort of smarts, they'd lower the age to 19 if anything.

Logically, the majority of 18-year-olds are still in high school and therefore are exposed to those who would then be considered "underage" on a daily basis. At 19, however, they would be in college and see considerably less of those who can't drink, and be surrounded by the other people who have the option of drinking.

Friday 02 May

By Bobbi

Highest Rank

I am an ex soldier and joined when the drinking age was 18. I think those who fight for our freedom be allowed to drink IF only they can show a military ID....If you can't then sorry no drinking til the age of 21. Those are the kids that don't care about anything but getting drunk. Being an ex soldier I know I drank to relieve the stres that I went through in training and what I saw. It was a release for me, but I never did anything stupid like driving drunk or doing anything silly, BUT put a stipulation as a soldier if you do something idiotic while under the influence and a Field Grade Article 15 will be in your 201 and that is something that can never be removed

Friday 02 May

By Mark

Highest Rank

I agree 100% that anyone 18+ should be legally allowed to drink. In every other facet of American life an 18 year old is conisdered an adult. They can vote, fight for our country, (or Iraq), obtain credit, smoke cigarettes, be tried in a court of law as an adult, get married, even raise children. This law is absolutely ridiculous. Aside from the fact it's pointless since 18 - 20 year olds (and even younger) are already drink.

The other alternative is change the law that a minor is not an adult until age 21, therefore you cannot vote, go to war, get married, obtain credit, ad infinitum until age 21. And you know that ain't gonna happen.

Friday 02 May

By Mike

Highest Rank

Most 19 year olds in the states listed are still in the 7th grade. Gimmee a break!

Friday 23 May

By Simon

Lowest Ranked

See, the problem with the 21 and over drinking law in America is this. If you compare America to Europe for example where the drinking age for the most part is only 18 and alcohol is more integrated into daily life, it is quite obvious that their society has much less of a drinking problem. The problem with America's youth today is that since the legal drinking age is so high they feel that when they drink they have to consume large amounts of alcohol. The 21+ drinking asge in this country forces our youth to become binge drinkers. I think that if the age was lower there would be less of a stigma behind drinking and kids would be more responsible.

Friday 02 May

By Tom Kantor

Neutral

The drinking age should be lowered for several good reasons. First of all, any teen that wants to drink is drinking anyway. I agree that if a teen can serve this country, why are his/her rights confined. Look at other countries. Drinking, prostitution, etc are legal and controlled. Those governments are generating tax revenues on these activities that are going to go on anyway rather than spending tax dollars chasing and trying to control what they cannot.

Friday 02 May

By MMB

Highest Rank

As a high school student, I have to agree that those who want alcohol have no trouble getting it illegally. My parents have always allowed me to drink - wine with dinner, even the hard stuff - and when I was teathing Mom rubbed Jack on my gums to numb them. That doesn't mean that I actually drink. I have, *maybe*, a shot at New Year and a glass of wine at Christmas. Those who want to act irresponsibly will do so no matter what; the law won't stop them. I know an underage binge drinker. If the drinking age was lowered, we could use the money from it to, say, help the *economy* and encourage responsibe use. I think the age should be lowered to 19, though, so that mostly college students instead of high school ones can access it. We could - hey! - even highten the killing age by a year. 19-year-olds in the military instead of eighteen; but what a - gasp! - smart idea. Who in gov't would agree with one of those?

Friday 02 May

By Mark

Neutral

Rather than lower the drinking age to 18, why not raise the killing age to 21? The Military can wait another 3 years before sending our young people off to be slaughtered.

Friday 02 May

By elle

Neutral

While I obviously do not relish the idea of any of our nations service men dying an untimely death, I hate it when people (you) completely ignore the fact that these men (or women)signed up to fight. They were not drafted, no one forced them to join the army. I have long said that if our government thinks an 18 year old is mature enough to fight and enlist then they should be able to legally drink. I completely support an 18 drinking age. I find that kids who are given a longer leash tend to make good decisions on their own rather than lash out and over do it once they get the opportunity. There are far fewer drunk driving incidences and alcohol poisoning cases in youths in European countries with 16 drinking ages then there are here where it is illegal.

Friday 02 May

By LOUISE MARTIN

Neutral

YOU POLITIONS HAVE FEWER BRAINS THAN EVER.. SMELL THE COFFEE. LOOK AT WHAT YOUR DOING. MOST 18 YEAR OLDS DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEIR DOING AT THIS AGE NOW AND YOU WANT THEM TO DRINK ?????? WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???? THE SCHOOLS, THE POLICE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS ALL OTHER PUBLIC AREAS HAVE ENOUGH TROUBLE NOW AND YOU WANT TO ADD MORE TROUBLE BY DRINKING AT 18 ?????? LET THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GIVE YOU THE ANSWER???? AS FAR AS THE MILITARY IS CONCERNED THE KIDS ONLY GET TALKED INTO GOING BECAUSE THE RECRUITERS JOB IS TO MAKE IT LOOK ALL PEACHES AND CREAM. THESE KIDS ARE NOT READY TO FIGHT A WAR AT 18-19-20 YEARS OLD AND JUST ISN'T FAIR TO THEM AT ALL. REMEMBER THIS "ALCHOL GOES THRU YOUR BRAIN BEFORE YOUR KIDNEYS" YOUR JOB IS TRY TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAVE NOT SORRY.

Monday 05 May

By Mike

Neutral

I like the posting that thinks "outside the box" and suggests that rather than lowering the drinking age to 18 because young people can enlist and be sent to war to die for their country, why not raise the enlistment age to 21? It seems perfectly sensible to me. You might get more educated, better informed soldiers, soldiers who either went to college, or who worked in the real world a bit and bring some experience and an go into the military with an informed decision-making process, rather than having it be a "default" like it is for some young people. Some are very noble for joining the armed forces, but some are misguided, and are too young to truly understand the nature of their decision. A few more years of "life experience" under their belt might help that. Even the Peace Corp prefers volunteers with an education or more life experience than someone right out of high school, so why not soldiers?

This is a GREAT suggestion, and shows some unconventional wisdom!

Friday 02 May

By Michael

Neutral

Elle:

I can't totally agree with you that no one "forced" these young people to sign up for the military.

While it might not have been an individual that "forced" them to sign on, economic circumstances may have. If you have no opportunity for higher education, the military looks good. If you have a family to take care of and no viable means to do it, because of outsourcing, manufacturing relocation, or the high cost of education, health care, and now food and gas, the military will (supposedly) take care of you and those you love. Desperation will cause you to do things you normally would not.

Granted, they should have known that the possibility of armed conflict always existed but if you have no other way out, your only option might be to hope for the best and sign up. I believe many of them signed up to survive, not because they believed in the philisophical merits of the current, misguided conflict.

I totally agree with every other point in your post - old enough to fight and die, old enough to drink. I just have a problem with people not believing that survival in the current economic environment, brought on by the current administration and their deference to big oil, banking, and corporations over the middle class, has resulted in our youth signing up for military service, the option of last resort for many.

Friday 02 May

By valerie

Highest Rank

agree 100% - raise draft age to 21 to match the drinkng age. Makes perfect sense, if "kids" are not responsible enough to drink at 18 then they are definitely not responsible enough to be sent off to war.

Friday 02 May

By SUSAN BLAKESLEE

Neutral

ANY BOY OR GIRL SHOULD BE OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL LIKE LONDON BEFORE THEIR 18TH BIRTHDAY. THEN THEY SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR MILITARY SERVICE, VOTING, MEDICAL CARE DECISIONS, PRIVACY RIGHTS FROM PARENTS, SUCH AS COLLEGE GRADES, DRIVING @18 INSTEAD OF 16, AND DRINKING AT AGE 18 INSTEAD OF 21. OH, AND I YEAR OF MILITARY SERVICE STATESIDE SHOULD BE REQUIRED AFTER HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE THEY ENTER COLLEGE. NO COMBAT.

Friday 02 May

By tom hangarter

Neutral

I THINK IT IS GREAT THAT THESE 7 STATES HAVE THE INTELLIGENCE TO LOWER THE DRINKING AGE. I GRATUATED FROM UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT, THE DRINKING AGE WAS 19.THERE WAS NEVER A PROBLEM. MANY NSTUDENTS WENT TO LOCAL PUBS WHICH WERE MANAGED BY ADULTS.THE RAISED AGE HAS CREATED A HUGE DRUG PROBLEM AMOUNG YOUNG ADULTS.I BLAME MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING FOR THIS.IF YOU DO NOT WANT PEOPLE TO DRIVE,YOU NEED BETTER MASS TRANSIT-BUSSES,ETC-NOT LAWS!!!

Friday 02 May

By Claudia

Highest Rank

I know all about University of Vermont and the drinking problem. I have seen many policemen kept busy trying to keep students in order. It was impossible. I believe drinking should be for those who have graduated college and above. Why? Because students proove daily they can't handle it.

Friday 02 May

By Kalipsew

Neutral

What a doofus. A college "gratuate" who can't spell. Bahahaaaaaaaaa. Give that man another drink!!

Friday 02 May

By maureen

Neutral

hey tom,
I'm so glad that you "gratuated". Yep...lower that drinking age.

Friday 02 May

By Ange

Neutral

I think the drinking age should be 18. I don't even drink, and I've been denied access to a restaurant at the age of 20 because it was Happy Hour. All I wanted were some french fries. I happened to be in a community theater play, and I was the only castmember who was below 21, and therefore I had to go home rather than have a bite to eat with people who otherwise considered me an adult. It was absolutely degrading. If 18 is the age of adulthood, then an 18-year-old should be entitled to everything a real adult is entitled to, including alcohol.

Wednesday 07 May

By Cristina

Highest Rank

I totally agree. I am very responsible for my age, and I hang out with adults 22 and older. I have a great job, I'm in college, and I do everything an adult does from paying bills to helping support other people. Yet, when I want to relax after a long day, I can't sit at the bar and have a beer with my friends. Instead, I have to go home and drink there illegally. Bottom line is, we're not truly adults at 18. It IS degrading.