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18-year-olds drinking legally? Maybe in Vermont.
The Associated Press is reporting that Vermont is joining a sprinkling of other states in looking at passing law that would allow 18- to 20-year-olds to purchase and consume alcohol legally. The state has decided to create a task force to look at the pros and cons of such an action. Those in favor of legislation like this site the fact that laws that legally allow ages 21 and up to drink has not kept those not legally of age from drinking.
“Our laws aren’t working. They’re not preventing underage drinking. What they’re doing is putting it outside the public eye,” Vermont state Sen. Hinda Miller tells the Associated Press. “So you have a lot of kids binge drinking. They get sick, they get scared and they get into trouble and they can’t call because they know it’s illegal.”
Here’s the link to the story, but what are your thoughts. Does a legal drinking age help? I’d argue it does, but it sounds like some lawmakers in Vermont probably wouldn’t agree with me …
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: News, What do you think?
Comments
By WSU Senior
March 1, 2008 12:13 AM | Link to this
It wasn’t until I started college that I realized that the drinking age is frankly a joke. It’s ridiculously easy to drink underage as long as you’re smart about it. Even some of my friends getting busted didn’t stop them afterwards. That said, Europe has lower drinking ages than the US, and Switzerland for one has an incredible rate of teenage alcoholism and related problems. Still, though, I really don’t think the drinking age is discouraging anyone stateside. Where there’s a will… My take? Lower the drinking age, raise the driving age.By mwm
March 2, 2008 7:00 AM | Link to this
Around the late 70’s, the legal drinking age varied from state to state. While in the military, I saw a variety of legal drinking ages. Colorado, 19 for beer, 21 for everything else, 18 for 3.2 beer. Massachusetts, 18 for everything. Maine had split drinking ages, unless one was on base. Then, the base commander decided. So, 18 was the norm on military bases. Arizona, 19 and 21. So, some states had 18, 19 or 21 as legal drinking ages. Then, every state went to 21. With threats of witholding federal highway funds for states that did not comply. We, in America, can vote at 18. Are considered adults by the legal system at 18. We can serve in the militarty at 18. If one is considered an adult at 18, then one should be able to drink legally at 18. Or, 18 to 21 year olds will continue to drink; regardless of the law. The 21 year old legal drinking age does not work. Just as laws against the use of marijuana do not work.