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usc
Don't Lower the Drinking Age
Joshua SharpPosted: Feb 20th 2009 8:36PM
Filed under: USC, News, Advise & Dissent, Microtrends on CampusAnimated disagreement between coworkers is a venerable tradition often denied to Bright Hall's far-flung, break room-less staff. Advise & Dissent is an attempt to fix that. Click here for past debates.
My colleague Megan Baker has a post up today proposing that the U.S. would be well-served by a lower age limit on alcohol consumption, in advance of a "60 Minutes" special airing Sunday which is sure to renew the national debate.
Critics of the current age limit are undoubtedly well-intentioned, but their focus is ill-advised. Lowering the age limit from 21 years of age to 18 would send precisely the wrong signal to young people across the country: that alcohol isn't as dangerous and serious a substance as has been suggested for the last twenty-five years, when the current limit was put into effect.
Rather than focusing energy on slightly modifying a somewhat arbitrary number, we should instead unite around effective education and prevention programs led by student ambassadors armed with the real facts. Too many alcohol education programs sound like they've been crafted by out-of-touch administrators instead of actual peers.
Students need to hear about the effects of alcohol from fellow classmates speaking in our common language. Relying on hyperbolic scare tactics and abstinence-only rhetoric ends the dialogue far too early.
"Haze" is a new documentary which strikes this important balance. Centered around the devastating, preventable death of a University of Colorado freshman, this gritty film explores the culture of binge drinking and guides viewers toward an effortless conclusion, reinforcing the stark realities of excessive alcohol consumption. (You can see the film here. It is difficult to watch, so viewer discretion is advised.)
At the start of my freshman year at USC, all incoming students had to complete a two-part online education course, AlcoholEDU. The first half of the program had to be completed before the start of classes, and the second half began much later in the semester. While AlcoholEDU was certainly more memorable and conversational in tone compared to others I've seen, there remains a powerful subculture at college in which binge drinking is socially acceptable.
Penetrating this subculture and making binge drinking "uncool" again has to be our top priority today on campuses across America. Instead of spending money on campaigns whose legislative proposals, if passed, would suggest that alcohol is now more acceptable than ever before, we should work together on making binge drinking more unacceptable than ever. Such a social stigma would have a far greater impact than any legal limit.
My colleague Megan Baker has a post up today proposing that the U.S. would be well-served by a lower age limit on alcohol consumption, in advance of a "60 Minutes" special airing Sunday which is sure to renew the national debate.
Critics of the current age limit are undoubtedly well-intentioned, but their focus is ill-advised. Lowering the age limit from 21 years of age to 18 would send precisely the wrong signal to young people across the country: that alcohol isn't as dangerous and serious a substance as has been suggested for the last twenty-five years, when the current limit was put into effect.Rather than focusing energy on slightly modifying a somewhat arbitrary number, we should instead unite around effective education and prevention programs led by student ambassadors armed with the real facts. Too many alcohol education programs sound like they've been crafted by out-of-touch administrators instead of actual peers.
Students need to hear about the effects of alcohol from fellow classmates speaking in our common language. Relying on hyperbolic scare tactics and abstinence-only rhetoric ends the dialogue far too early.
"Haze" is a new documentary which strikes this important balance. Centered around the devastating, preventable death of a University of Colorado freshman, this gritty film explores the culture of binge drinking and guides viewers toward an effortless conclusion, reinforcing the stark realities of excessive alcohol consumption. (You can see the film here. It is difficult to watch, so viewer discretion is advised.)
At the start of my freshman year at USC, all incoming students had to complete a two-part online education course, AlcoholEDU. The first half of the program had to be completed before the start of classes, and the second half began much later in the semester. While AlcoholEDU was certainly more memorable and conversational in tone compared to others I've seen, there remains a powerful subculture at college in which binge drinking is socially acceptable.
Penetrating this subculture and making binge drinking "uncool" again has to be our top priority today on campuses across America. Instead of spending money on campaigns whose legislative proposals, if passed, would suggest that alcohol is now more acceptable than ever before, we should work together on making binge drinking more unacceptable than ever. Such a social stigma would have a far greater impact than any legal limit.
| Yes, It Should Be Lowered | |
|---|---|
| Yes, It Should Be Raised | |
| No, It Should Remain at 21 |
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Daryl
9:31PM 9:31PM Feb 20th 2009
The government has no right to tell anyone what they can ingest, inject, inhale or snort. It's all about protecting the financial interests of Big Tobacco, Big Liquor, and Big Pharma. Get Big Brother out of our lives! Support the Third Position Army! Bring common sense back to the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ9vTJLIA8M
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dnd
11:21PM 11:21PM Feb 20th 2009
It is not a matter of govt or of ability to fight in wars etc, but drinking before the age of 21 kills brain cells and the brain is not fully developed until 21 for females and 25 for males. Now if they want to be brain dead then let them but this is the main reason for not lowering the drinking age.
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krazy wheel
12:26AM 12:26AM Feb 21st 2009
I was a soldier in germany,i was allowed to drink as long as 18.But it is pretty embarrising that you can die for your country but cant drink beer in it.I feel that if you are in the military you should be allowed to drink.
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Robert
10:38AM 10:38AM Feb 21st 2009
If you can get your face blow off in war, you should be allowed to drink. End of story. To those that say it sends the wrong message, I say to you: Laws that criminalize behavior should not be adopted because of messages sent; but if you want to go that stupid specious logic route, what message are you sending that one can die for his country, get the death penalty in court, and have to otherwise be an adult in every other area in life but are not allowed to drink? It says that you are to juvenile to handle other peoples freedoms. Oh, and by the way, the drinking age for beer and wine in Germany is 16 and 18 for hard liquor. I'm 42, but I was able to drink at 19 because I was grandfathered in when the law was raised here in Florida. My friend who was born two weeks after me was not grandfathered in. He was born in July. How stupid and asinine is that. Get a life all you do-gooders who use the canard of safety to impose your fascism into ones life. Vive tu vida i no la mia
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Robert
10:40AM 10:40AM Feb 21st 2009
If you can get your face blow off in war, you should be allowed to
drink. End of story. To those that say it sends the wrong message, I
say to you: Laws that criminalize behavior should not be adopted
because of messages sent; but if you want to go that stupid specious
logic route, what message are you sending that one can die for his
country, get the death penalty in court, and have to otherwise be an
adult in every other area in life but are not allowed to drink? It
says that you are to juvenile to handle other peoples freedoms. Oh,
and by the way, the drinking age for beer and wine in Germany is 16
and 18 for hard liquor. I'm 42, but I was able to drink at 19 because
I was grandfathered in when the law was raised here in Florida. My
friend who was born two weeks after me was not grandfathered in. He
was born in July. How stupid and asinine is that. Get a life all you
do-gooders who use the canard of safety to impose your fascism into
ones life. Vive tu vida i no la mia
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Southern Icecub
1:44PM 1:44PM Feb 21st 2009
Drinking at 18 is no guarantee that as a soldier you will survive war. Any better than if you wait to drink at 21 will save you, from an untimely death as a soldier. Reality says you will survive war best if you simply do not drink, or unfortunately dope yourself to avoid the pain of loss, and fear that warfare induces. Nor do you have to be a soldier to die before your time. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2022742/Harry-Potter-actor-stabbed-to-death-protecting-his-younger-brother.html Should you read the link you will discover that Mr. Robert Knox (18) died outside of a bar in England.
In England, children can go to bars (pubs) with their parents before the age of 16, at 16 they can go without parental consent and get smashed.
It was one thing to be drafted at 18, and forced to go to war and not be able to drink. It is altogether different thing to volunteered to go to war, and want a drink because you have volunteered.
Do not rush growing up, if you are in the military you are rushing it. To many ex-military suffer horribly from their years of combining war, booze, and drugs. Since, you have decided to become an adult in the service of your nation. Please wait to add the continued hazards of adulthood to your life. Enjoy what is left of your childhood.
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Nocmaut
1:40PM 1:40PM Feb 21st 2009
Drinking at 18 is no guarantee that as a soldier you will survive war. Any better than if you wait to drink at 21 will save you, from an untimely death as a soldier. Reality says you will survive war best if you simply do not drink, or unfortunately dope yourself to avoid the pain of loss, and fear that warfare induces. Nor do you have to be a soldier to die before your time. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2022742/Harry-Potter-actor-stabbed-to-death-protecting-his-younger-brother.html Should you read the link you will discover that Mr. Robert Knox (18) died outside of a bar in England. In England, children can go to bars (pubs) with their parents before the age of 16, at 16 they can go without parental consent and get smashed.
It was one thing to be drafted at 18, and forced to go to war and not be able to drink. It is altogether different thing to volunteered to go to war, and want a drink because you have volunteered.
Do not rush growing up, if you are in the military you are rushing it. To many ex-military suffer horribly from their years of combining war, booze, and drugs. Since, you have decided to become an adult in the service of your nation. Please wait to add the continued hazards of adulthood to your life. Enjoy what is left of your childhood. Once your adult you are one for a very longtime, I hope.
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Master Shake
3:24AM 3:24AM Feb 22nd 2009
America has the highest drinking age in the civilized world, which is the CAUSE of teen alcohol abuse and teen drunk driving accidents. REFERENCES: http://tinyurl.com/aux7uf ___ ALSO SEE: http://www.youthfacts.org/student1.html
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steve
11:45PM 11:45PM Feb 21st 2009
Yes Hall, we should embrace what doesn't and has never worked. Just like Obama. Let us embrace alcohol education just like Obama has embraced crazy spending. History shows that neither work. But I guess we can all "hope" history will "change."
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Laurel Richardson
11:49PM 11:49PM Feb 21st 2009
Drinking lowers inhibitions and many females lose there virginity in a less than ladylike fashion when imbibed, under or over 21. In addition, drinking and driving causes a majority of accidents. As far as smoking goes, one individual's rights ends where the other person's rights begin. Why should I breathe second hand smoke and have my health insurance cost go up because of people with lung cancer from recreational and addictive behaviors? Not everyone gets addicted to alcohol or tobacco, but enough do to cause a problem. Look at the jails! Look at the emphysema and lung cancer cases and the people on welfare and Medicaid we pay for because they can no longer work and get welfare and government healthcare.
What about deformed and fetal alcohol syndrome kids that the taxpayers support because the parents can't or won't?
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Laurel Richardson
11:50PM 11:50PM Feb 21st 2009
Drinking lowers inhibitions and many females lose there virginity in
a less than ladylike fashion when imbibed, under or over 21. In
addition, drinking and driving causes a majority of accidents. As
far as smoking goes, one individual's rights ends where the other
person's rights begin. Why should I breathe second hand smoke and
have my health insurance cost go up because of people with lung
cancer from recreational and addictive behaviors? Not everyone gets
addicted to alcohol or tobacco, but enough do to cause a problem.
Look at the jails! Look at the emphysema and lung cancer cases and
the people on welfare and Medicaid we pay for because they can no
longer work and get welfare and government healthcare.
What about deformed and fetal alcohol syndrome kids that the
taxpayers support because the parents can't or won't?
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Liz
2:08AM 2:08AM Feb 22nd 2009
if you are old enough to fight for your country, you should be old enough to drink. if you are old enough to have a baby at 17, work full time, live on your own and pay taxes, you should be old enough to drink. which completely confounds me how anyone justifies THAT.
the real point though is ...there are not so many drinking issues in other countries because it is not made out to be a big deal. if it is not considered "wrong" then the "fun" is taken out of it. if it is something you basically grew up doing (i am talking about resonable teenage yrs), then there is no reason to go out binge drinking or anything else to do with it. if your family serves you a glass of wine at the table on sunday dinner, special occasions, etc etc ...then when you are the drinking age ...it is no big deal ..it was never a "bad""taboo""wrong" thing ..and you did not have to wait or sneak.
why?
BECAUSE, the big deal had been taken out of it a long time ago. there is no big deal if you grew up without it being made an issue ..you then are not waiting to go out to clubs ..waiting to buy that bottle ..trying to sneak to have people buy it ..just to see what the deal is with it, that everyone makes of it.
it is common sense 101.
if it was never disallowed and freely given ..if the adults around you never made an issue or big deal out of it and handled it responsibly ....then where is the fun when you reach drinking age, if there was no drinking age or it was much lower. gone, because no one made you wait, no one made it "bad". it is not something you now have to rush out and seek or even sneek before hand.
that is why there are not half the issues we have in our country, in other countries ...ones with lower drinking ages and/or no drinking age ...
wine should be enjoyed at dinner by the time a teenager is at a resonable age. it goes with the meal and compliments it. it is part of the dining experience and enjoyment.
...and on and on. ..and on.
open your eyes. it is all the people who have made it "bad""wrong" ..off limits ...etc, who have caused this issue in the first place.
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liz
2:10AM 2:10AM Feb 22nd 2009
if you are old enough to fight for your country, you should be old
enough to drink. if you are old enough to have a baby at 17, work
full time, live on your own and pay taxes, you should be old enough
to drink. which completely confounds me how anyone justifies THAT.
the real point though is ...there are not so many drinking issues in
other countries because it is not made out to be a big deal. if it is
not considered "wrong" then the "fun" is taken out of it. if it is
something you basically grew up doing (i am talking about resonable
teenage yrs), then there is no reason to go out binge drinking or
anything else to do with it. if your family serves you a glass of
wine at the table on sunday dinner, special occasions, etc etc
...then when you are the drinking age ...it is no big deal ..it was
never a "bad""taboo""wrong" thing ..and you did not have to wait or
sneak.
why?
BECAUSE, the big deal had been taken out of it a long time ago. there
is no big deal if you grew up without it being made an issue ..you
then are not waiting to go out to clubs ..waiting to buy that bottle
..trying to sneak to have people buy it ..just to see what the deal
is with it, that everyone makes of it.
it is common sense 101.
if it was never disallowed and freely given ..if the adults around
you never made an issue or big deal out of it and handled it
responsibly ....then where is the fun when you reach drinking age,
if there was no drinking age or it was much lower. gone, because no
one made you wait, no one made it "bad". it is not something you now
have to rush out and seek or even sneek before hand.
that is why there are not half the issues we have in our country, in
other countries ...ones with lower drinking ages and/or no drinking
age ...
wine should be enjoyed at dinner by the time a teenager is at a
resonable age. it goes with the meal and compliments it. it is part
of the dining experience and enjoyment.
...and on and on. ..and on.
open your eyes. it is all the people who have made it "bad""wrong"
..off limits ...etc, who have caused this issue in the first place.
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Reply to this commentReport!
liz
2:12AM 2:12AM Feb 22nd 2009
if you are old enough to fight for your country, you should be old
enough to drink. if you are old enough to have a baby at 17, work
full time, live on your own and pay taxes, you should be old enough
to drink. which completely confounds me how anyone justifies THAT.
the real point though is ...there are not so many drinking issues in
other countries because it is not made out to be a big deal. if it is
not considered "wrong" then the "fun" is taken out of it. if it is
something you basically grew up doing (i am talking about resonable
teenage yrs), then there is no reason to go out binge drinking or
anything else to do with it. if your family serves you a glass of
wine at the table on sunday dinner, special occasions, etc etc
...then when you are the drinking age ...it is no big deal ..it was
never a "bad""taboo""wrong" thing ..and you did not have to wait or
sneak.
why?
BECAUSE, the big deal had been taken out of it a long time ago. there
is no big deal if you grew up without it being made an issue ..you
then are not waiting to go out to clubs ..waiting to buy that bottle
..trying to sneak to have people buy it ..just to see what the deal
is with it, that everyone makes of it.
it is common sense 101.
if it was never disallowed and freely given ..if the adults around
you never made an issue or big deal out of it and handled it
responsibly ....then where is the fun when you reach drinking age,
if there was no drinking age or it was much lower. gone, because no
one made you wait, no one made it "bad". it is not something you now
have to rush out and seek or even sneek before hand.
that is why there are not half the issues we have in our country, in
other countries ...ones with lower drinking ages and/or no drinking
age ...
wine should be enjoyed at dinner by the time a teenager is at a
resonable age. it goes with the meal and compliments it. it is part
of the dining experience and enjoyment.
...and on and on. ..and on.
open your eyes. it is all the people who have made it "bad""wrong"
..off limits ...etc, who have caused this issue in the first place.
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Dani Fichter
8:42PM 8:42PM Mar 8th 2009
Not to get off of subject, but do you realize that we are $11 trillion in debt right now? You obviously know nothing of history, sir, seeing as if you did you would recall that when FDR was elected into office he led us out of the Great Depression by spending. We have no money of our own, and when the economy crashes just as it did in 1929 the only thing that will jumpstart it again is MONEY. You have to spend money to make money and you have to make money to get out of debt.
As for the drinking age, I think it should be lowered. Kids today get a thrill out of doing what is prohibited, wouldn't you agree? I am 16 so I can speak for people my own age when I say that if it was legal at a younger age it would be safer. Kids go to unsafe places all the time just to drink so their parents won't find out. Would you rather have a lower drinking age, making what teens are going to do anyway a safer thing, or keep the drinking age ridiculously high and putting more young lives in danger?
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Dani Fichter
8:47PM 8:47PM Mar 8th 2009
Not to get off of subject, but do you realize that we are $11trillion in debt right now? You obviously know nothing of history,sir, seeing as if you did you would recall that when FDR was electedinto office he led us out of the Great Depression by spending. Wehave no money of our own, and when the economy crashes just as it didin 1929 the only thing that will jumpstart it again is MONEY. You haveto spend money to make money and you have to make money to get out ofdebt. As for the drinking age, I think it should be lowered. Kids today geta thrill out of doing what is prohibited, wouldn't you agree? I am 16so I can speak for people my own age when I say that if it was legalat a younger age it would be safer. Kids go to unsafe places all thetime just to drink so their parents won't find out. Would you ratherhave a lower drinking age, making what teens are going to do anyway asafer thing, or keep the drinking age ridiculously high and puttingmore young lives in danger?
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sabrina_8991@hotmail.de
1:02AM 1:02AM Oct 9th 2009
Dear Joshua Sharp,
According to your article, it would be best, if the drinking age remains the same like it is right now.
I have to disagree with you.
You have mentioned that it could be the wrong signal for young adults, if the drinking age is lowered. It could give the impression, that drinking is not as dangerous and serious as it was told the years before.
Nevertheless, if you are honest to yourself, do you really think there are many young people, who are thinking drinking is dangerous?
Most of young adults do it anyway. I think it would be way better, if they could do it in public, for example in bars or restaurants. At least then there are some people that can watch the teenager and take care, that nobody drinks too much. If a bar tender would notice, that a teenager drinks too much, he can stop selling alcohol to him. Of course binge drinking is a problem, because it got more popular in the last years.
So I think it is really important, to have an opportunity to watch drinking teenager, rather than letting them get drunk in secret. Because this is a fact, nobody can deny: Things that are forbidden, are even more interesting, especially for young people. This also means, that things that are forbidden, are really cool.
That´s why I think the drinking age should be lowered. Drinking would lose his special position; it would not be cool anymore to try drinking, because you are not allowed to.
Perhaps it would be a good idea, to be allowed to drink beer and wine first and in the age of 21 to drink “hard” alcohol like liquor. So young people could get a better feeling of how much they can drink to avoid young people that just turned 21 and then drink as much as they can, but don´t be able to appraise where their tolerance is.
Nevertheless I agree that it is a good idea to make more awareness training about the topic “drinking alcohol”.
Sincerely,
Sabrina
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sabrina_8991@hotmail.de
1:04AM 1:04AM Oct 9th 2009
Dear Joshua Sharp,
According to your article, it would be best, if the drinking age remains the same like it is right now.
I have to disagree with you.
You have mentioned that it could be the wrong signal for young adults, if the drinking age is lowered. It could give the impression, that drinking is not as dangerous and serious as it was told the years before.
Nevertheless, if you are honest to yourself, do you really think there are many young people, who are thinking drinking is dangerous?
Most of young adults do it anyway. I think it would be way better, if they could do it in public, for example in bars or restaurants. At least then there are some people that can watch the teenager and take care, that nobody drinks too much. If a bar tender would notice, that a teenager drinks too much, he can stop selling alcohol to him. Of course binge drinking is a problem, because it got more popular in the last years.
So I think it is really important, to have an opportunity to watch drinking teenager, rather than letting them get drunk in secret. Because this is a fact, nobody can deny: Things that are forbidden, are even more interesting, especially for young people. This also means, that things that are forbidden, are really cool.
That´s why I think the drinking age should be lowered. Drinking would lose his special position; it would not be cool anymore to try drinking, because you are not allowed to.
Perhaps it would be a good idea, to be allowed to drink beer and wine first and in the age of 21 to drink “hard” alcohol like liquor. So young people could get a better feeling of how much they can drink to avoid young people that just turned 21 and then drink as much as they can, but don´t be able to appraise where their tolerance is.
Nevertheless I agree that it is a good idea to make more awareness training about the topic “drinking alcohol”.
Sincerely,
Sabrina
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James C.
1:37AM 1:37AM Oct 13th 2010
The drinking age should be lowered to teach responsibility. Kids and young adults look at the drinking age as some sort of joke. If you look at other countries in the word, the drinking age is much lower than it is in the U.S. 21 may have been effective for a few years after it has been passed, but after that it hasn't helped much. Kids and young adults are still going to drink no matter what and the best way to help stop alcohol related accidents is to teach responsible drinking. Wasting valuable tax dollars on punishing the youth over a few drinks rather than drunk drivers is a waste of time and money.
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