There is a quiet, yet significant proposal, which is the subject of a national petition drive by the National Youth Rights Association pushing to lower the legal drinking age. It has led to a handful of states in recent years, including Florida, Wisconsin, Vermont and Missouri, to push a ballot initiative.
The argument is that if you are 18 years of age and can vote or go to war then you should be able to drink alcohol. However, a new phenomenon called binge drinking, where teens drink excessive amounts of hard liquor in a short time for the purpose of getting drunk rather than having a drink or two as part of a social experience has health experts on alert.
A recent Surgeon General's report states that underage alcohol consumption is a major societal problem with enormous health and safety consequences. Proponents of the lowering age contend that when the drinking age was raised to 21, the problem of young adult alcohol consumption was driven underground. They argue that by lowering the age back to 18, those problems would be in the forefront and thereby addressable.
What makes matters worse is conflicted adult opinion in the 21-above drinking debate. A poll conducted by the SouthBergenite on its Web site revealed that 54 percent of local residents believe that they should be able to serve their children alcohol in private. Thirty–four percent said they shouldn’t.
The parents that serve their children alcohol and the parents who turn a blind eye to it convey the message that youth drinking is no big deal. Furthermore, by allowing youths to drink the message they receive is that they are above the law.
The facts are the facts. An estimated 1,700 college students die each year from alcohol-related injuries; approximately 600,000 students are injured while under the influence of alcohol; some 700,000 students are assaulted by other students who have been drinking; and about 100,000 students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assaults or date rapes.
According to Teens Today, students in grades 6-12 ranked the drinking age as the number one reason why they choose not to use alcohol. The law is working, let’s not send mixed messages to our youth by undermining it, even if it is the holiday season.
