Thursday, August 21, 2008

Lower the Drinking Age?

100 University Presidents have signed a petition to lower the drinking age to 18.

Their rationale: it would help to curb the binge drinking that plagues college campuses. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 90 percent of alcohol consumed by people under the age of 21 is in the form of binge drinking.

I would not be completely opposed to lowering the age for the legal consumption of alcohol, though I do have worries about the "trickle down" effect of increased access to alcohol among high schoolers.

What I would like to see more, however, is more serious enforcement and consequences for those who abuse alcohol. Our current system is no deterrent. Our legal system has become a system for enabling abuse. There is no reason someone who has a blown over .08 BAC (by the way, Sweden has a .02 limit) should get to walk, much less drive again. My solution: first DUI - $500 fine, 5 days jail and 365 day suspension of license and your picture, name and address goes into the local papers. Second DUI - $1500 fine (or 30 days jail) and your license is revoked for the rest of your life, so please make yourself aquainted with public transit.

2 comments:

Mestlers said...

You running for office? I would vote for you.

Anonymous said...

My only problem with lowering drinking age is that I do not believe the younger folks will be responsible enough not to drink and drive. We have problems now with DUI's and the drinking age is 21. Drinking and driving is just one thing that I do not tolerate, its extremely selfish. I don't know though...at 18 they can sign their life away to army