In the story "Drinking age debate continues," which ran in the Aug. 31 edition of The Crimson White, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study stated 52.1 percent of binge drinkers are between the ages of 18 and 20. That's a freshman, sophomore and junior class in college.
"Choose Responsibility" is a non-profit group started by John McCardell in favor of lowering the drinking age to 18. McCardell argues that 18 is the legal age of adulthood, so it makes to sense that the alcohol laws don't reflect that age as well.
We at The Crimson White agree.
The age-old debate of being able to fight for your country but not buy a beer plays a big part in this discussion. In most instances - military service, voting, signing contracts, buying cigarettes (except in Alabama) - 18 is the age at which one becomes legal to participate.
At 18, you're an adult. Except you can't buy alcohol.
Underage persons do drink. Living in Tuscaloosa, that's apparent. McCardell argues that with the legal age at 21, those 18- to 20-year-olds who are drinking are forced to go underground, out of the public eye. This, he says, makes drinking more likely to be harmful or detrimental.
What really happens on your 21st birthday? Does the alcohol fairy come while you sleep to impart the knowledge of proper drinking habits?
Though everyone is different, we're pretty sure no one has seen a fairy.
Then the question remains, why 21? Why not 18?
If you want students to make good decisions about drinking, don't expect them to all of the sudden know how to do it.
In Alabama, we've got some of the strictest alcohol laws in the nation. It is illegal to both possess and consume alcohol under the age of 21 in the state of Alabama.
Students are not learning enough about alcohol in an academic setting. While programs like AlcoholEDU do force students to look at the more realistic side of alcohol consumption, requiring them to do it their freshman year of college is too late.
Teenagers need to be taught about alcohol from an earlier age than 18. The knowledge needs to be integrated into their lives instead of dropped there.
It's about making good decisions related to alcohol, isn't it? Why not give students the information early on so at the first interactions with alcohol they know what to do.
Our View is the consensus of the CW editorial board.
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