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Vasaver
Joined: Apr 21, 2007
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 Posted: August 24, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject: Lowering the Drinking Age |
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Friday, August 22, 2008
If ever we needed proof that having an advanced degree doesn't correlate with common sense, we got it this week. A group of college presidents from some of the most prestigious schools in the nation have called on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age. They call their effort the Amethyst Initiative. Why Amethyst? On their website, the erudite group explains to those of us who aren't fluent in ancient Greek, the word is derived from the prefix "a" -- meaning not -- and "methustos," which means intoxicated.
"Twenty-one is not working," the group claims. "A culture of dangerous, clandestine "binge-drinking" -- often conducted off-campus -- has developed," they say, as if the law prohibiting underage drinking has created this culture. Apparently the group believes that if we'd simply lower the drinking age to 18, college students will magically stop binge drinking.
By that reasoning, why not lower the drinking age to 14? That way, we could wipe out binge drinking among high-school students as well. Heck, maybe we could cure alcoholism by eliminating age limits on drinking altogether. Start kids early and they'll learn to drink responsibly, right?
The facts suggest otherwise. According to a 2007 survey by the U.S. Surgeon General, 45 percent of high-school students reported drinking alcohol within the previous month, and more than one in four said they were binge drinkers. In 2005, drinking led to 145,000 emergency room visits by kids 12 to 20 years old for injuries related to their drinking. Of the nearly 7,500 traffic deaths involving 15- to 20-year-olds in 2005, more than 2,000 had been drinking. And young people who start drinking before they turn 15 are five times more likely to become problem drinkers or alcoholics later on.
Lowering the drinking age to 18 won't solve these problems -- and would likely make them worse. So why do these college presidents want to open this Pandora's box? It's simple. They don't want to be responsible for enforcing the law on their campuses.
Back in the Dark Ages when I started college (1965), colleges assumed the role of in loco parentis, acting in the place of parents for students who were not yet adults. By 1970 when I graduated, most universities had dropped virtually all the old rules. Once forbidden to do so, students were allowed to entertain members of the opposite sex in their dorm rooms (and soon, those dorms would be co-ed). Curfews were gone. Indeed, the only behavioral rule colleges seemed willing to enforce after the tumultuous Sixties was the prohibition against drinking on campus. Now, more than 100 college presidents have asked to be alleviated of even this responsibility.
College should be a time for students not only to acquire knowledge and earn a degree but to form character. College presidents could help fulfill their role in that endeavor by promoting less, not more, alcohol on campus. The National Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council have outlined several proposals to reduce underage drinking. Among their recommendations are increasing alcohol taxes, reducing youth exposure to alcohol advertising, and enforcing underage drinking laws more aggressively, not less. And they call on colleges and universities to collaborate and implement programs to prevent underage drinking.
The average cost of a four-year public college was nearly $13,000 a year in 2006 and more than $30,000 for a private college. You'd think for that kind of money we could get college presidents to do something as simple as to discourage underage drinking on their campuses. Instead, too many don't only look away but want to define the problem out of existence by lowering the legal drinking age.
Alcohol abuse is a serious problem in our culture. It ruins lives and kills thousands of Americans every year on our streets and highways. Alcohol devastates the health and well-being of those who abuse it and destroys innocent family members. We need to do everything we can to discourage drinking, especially among the young. The last thing we need is a bunch of college presidents to pretend that redefining the legal drinking age is a step in that direction.
Linda Chavez is the author of "An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal." To find out more about Linda Chavez, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. |
whats your thoughts on this? do think lowering the drinking age will hwlp or just stay the same.
i think that the binge drinking will still be around cuz people even over 21 do it all the time. i mostly agree with this guy. i think that the college professors are just really trying to push this problem off to the high schools, to be honest. also under age drinking will be more massive in highschool, cuz 18 yr old seniors will by alcohol and sell it or give it to underage students. solves nothing in my eyes,.
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ilya150
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Location: Smoking Pipe Weed With Merry and Pippen at the Shire
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| Posted: August 24, 2008 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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I personally believe that the drinking age should be lowered to 18. If not lower. Beer and Alchol have been drinks drunk by everyone, children, teens, adults till about the 1900's. In USA since 1984. *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age*. I think we should lower the age, but make it only under adult supervision.
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Vasaver
Joined: Apr 21, 2007
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| Posted: August 24, 2008 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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in my opinion lowering it 3 years will not help, still the main people who have all the drinking probs and are illegally drinking will still be drinking. now if it was gone or at an age where the kids dont really care if they drink or not might help. but at first every teen will go ballistic and drink out of control. however i dont think kids should be allowed in bars. mainly cuz they are annoying, immature, and once i go drinking i dont want some drunk dumb blond chick say, ' im having so much fun.' over and over before puking everywhere. it will be annoying hang out for teenagers, the type that get on my nerves. i think it should be an adult hang out not a teens.
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ilya150
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| Posted: August 24, 2008 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Vasaver wrote: |
| in my opinion lowering it 3 years will not help, still the main people who have all the drinking probs and are illegally drinking will still be drinking. now if it was gone or at an age where the kids dont really care if they drink or not might help. but at first every teen will go ballistic and drink out of control. however i dont think kids should be allowed in bars. mainly cuz they are annoying, immature, and once i go drinking i dont want some drunk dumb blond chick say, ' im having so much fun.' over and over before puking everywhere. it will be annoying hang out for teenagers, the type that get on my nerves. i think it should be an adult hang out not a teens. |
Lol, i'd find that annoying too if i was old enough to drink. I was looking up on Wiki, and suprisingly the lowest age was 5, in u.k. not sure if thats right, or if its wiki crap.
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of the lore
Joined: Nov 25, 2006
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| Posted: August 24, 2008 10:58 pm Post subject: |
of the lore
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Keep it 21.
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Kesington!
Joined: Jul 31, 2008
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 3:38 am Post subject: |
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Lower the drinking age, raise the driving age.
Or atleast raise the age you can be drafted.
Nothing lower than 18 for drinking, though. Children really shouldn't have access to certain things until their legally responsible for their own wellbeing.
21 is a bit of an arbitrary number.
I don't think anything will result of this movement, though.
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Marxx
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 4:12 am Post subject: |
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| Kesington! wrote: |
| Nothing lower than 18 for drinking, though. Children really shouldn't have access to certain things until their legally responsible for their own wellbeing. |
The problem is kids, those under 21 and under 18, already have access to those things. We can pretend that by lowering the drinking age to 18 it'll mean that kids under 18 won't drink - but that won't be the case.
The debate won't go anywhere until everyone accepts that people are going to experiment and drink regardless of the law. However in saying that I think that having restrictions on age contributes to the problem by making it more "tempting" and "rebellious" to drink when it's illegal.
The argument that lowering the drinking age will automatically lead to more kids drinking is flawed both in theory for the above reasons and empirical evidence suggests otherwise. Turkey and Bali both have extremely low restrictions on the age one can purchase alcohol yet the social problems associated with alcohol in those countries pale in comparison to places like the US and Australia.
What's needed is not rules and laws but a fundamental culture shift. That can only come about through comprehensive education programs about the nature of alcohol itself, and it's consequences. Parents also need to step up to to the plate and stop blaming colleges, the government etc. when their kids get sick or die from alcohol abuse because often they're the ones fostering the wrong attitude towards alcohol.
| Quote: |
| I don't think anything will result of this movement, though. |
Probably not. Interesting to note that while the media and college officials have been going off about it, it hasn't been mentioned by any of the Presidential candidates or congressman.
Clearly there are more important things to worry about, like how many houses you have. |
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cazzy_33
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 5:45 am Post subject: |
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18 is good on Australia, i couldnt be bothered to read the whole thing, but there was an article in the Age yesterday regarding binge drinking and inability to conceive when your older...
:S
just drink responsibly. have a bit of fun drunk but dont go doing it every day!
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Vasaver
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 8:32 am Post subject: |
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i somewhat think that some kids are more mature in other countries. the kids in australia prolly can handle drinking and isnt the biggest rave and in thing there as it is here in the US. might be, but honestly when i think of teenagers i think of how many are irresponsible.
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Mr. Slave
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 8:35 am Post subject: |
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If you are an adult at 18 years of age, then you should be able to do with your body as you see fit. End of.
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Vasaver
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 8:52 am Post subject: |
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okay, so we lower the drinking age to 18, seniors give alcohol to under age group that is mostly being effected by being drinking. then more problems for schools arrive bc it is now even more easier for underage drinking to happen. 21 is a good age cuz it gives people with no self control a few years to grow up.
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Evanesco
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 9:16 am Post subject: |
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Underage people will always find a way to get alcohol.
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Michael Massacre
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 10:18 am Post subject: |
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they should do it =]]
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first time i heard it i kinda laughed.
second time i was like o crap this is gonna be a hit, i'm going to hear it waaay too much and get so sick of it.
third time i turned the radio off. |
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of the lore
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 11:24 am Post subject: |
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They do call us the excess generation, and what not. I truly believe US 18 year olds can't handle it, yet. While people will always find away to drink illegally, less people are drinking now than would be if the age was lowered, and probably doing it less frequently than they are now. Why tempt us? Idk.
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Michael Massacre
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 11:32 am Post subject: |
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I think 18 year olds can.
i mean most get it anyways and they seem fine.
Not everyone drinks to get drunk.
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| lozinja wrote: |
first time i heard it i kinda laughed.
second time i was like o crap this is gonna be a hit, i'm going to hear it waaay too much and get so sick of it.
third time i turned the radio off. |
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of the lore
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 11:49 am Post subject: |
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Younger people these days DO drink to get drunk. I know very few 18 year olds who'd be able to handle it. It wouldn't do anyone any good to lower it (besides the kids who wants to be able to drink alcohol before21). Too big of a risk.
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Simply Just
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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I think the drinking age should be 18 and it's not because I'm 18 myself, but c'mon! We're able to do everything else in the world at age 18, why not drink?
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GinnyX
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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I think it should be lowered to 18, definitely.
As it is 13 and 14 year old are able to obtain alcohol. They raised the smoking age to 19 in some parts and high school students find it just as easy to obtain cigarettes now as they did then. If people want something, they will get it. If you take it away from them or ban it, they want it even more.
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Yellowbadger
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm able to drink now but I started at 18. When my father was 18 it was legal for him to drink as well. In my opinion it should have stayed at 18. |
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Vasaver
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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but why make it easier for 14-17 year olds to get drunk? do you want you 14 year old drinking. like of the lore said up there, most kids our age cant handle drinking, to me they are out of control as it is anyways, its not that hard to make friends with someone who is over 21 for an 18 year old, but the chances of 14 knowing 21 year olds is a bit slimmer. if you lower it to 18 14 year olds will know a lot of people who can get them drunk. getting drunk is a fab, and lowering it will help maybe only the 20 and 21 year olds from being retarded, but now you have caused a huge mess in the world.
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Miss LEGENDARY
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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I am 22.
I don't really know whether the drinking age should be lowered.
On one hand. I don't think that 18 year olds can handle it.
On the other hand...if it were lowered to 18 maybe kids would get all that drinking and partying out of their system...and it would be less of a problem. I don't really know. It could go either way....
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Vasaver
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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i really doubt it, the lower age groups 14-17 will be like yay its even easier to obtain alcohol lets get even more out of control. the 18 year olds will party with their younger friends. my age group really is the age excess.
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ThE_DaRk_MaRk
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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I dunno, my sister hangs out with a lot of older people. I know a few of her oldest friends are 21, 20 & 18. Also, there are plenty of people who know people who know people, if you know what I mean. It seems like no matter what the cycle somehow still continues.
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Vasaver
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| Posted: August 25, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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yes but still its not like a 14 year old can walk down the hall and ask a senior hey ill give you ten buck you get me some beer this weekend. believe me if i was a senior again and it was lowered i would pretty much run my own business of basically give me money i get you booze.
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