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DEL.ICIO.USWill lower drinking age bring bingeing boom?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Combating binge drinking on colleges by lowering the drinking age seems akin to decreasing speeding by raising the speed limit.
States that hiked their speed limit discovered that lead-footed drivers still weren’t content. Those who used to drive 70 in 65-mile zones sped up to 75 in 70 mph zones.
It seems unlikely that states that drop their drinking ages will record a sudden upswing in responsible behavior. Rather than sober 18-year-olds, they could end up with more drunk 16-year-olds.
I once assumed that drinking was limited to teens who were adrift, who weren’t focused on athletics or academics and were filling the void with vodka and orange juice. Then, at a coffee shop late one night a few years ago, I watched a parade of drunk high school girls stumble by on their way to use the restrooms. Among them were sports stars and would-be valedictorians. I have learned since that 81 percent of high school students try alcohol.
An 18-year-old drinking age would free colleges from acting as cops and nannies to beer-ponging freshmen and sophomores. That’s why a new call to lower the drinking age is coming from college presidents, who have united under the banner of the Amethyst Initiative.
Ancient Greek for “not intoxicated,” the Amethyst Initiative maintains that the 21-year-old drinking age is a failure, citing research that indicates binge drinking on campuses remains unchanged, despite crackdowns and awareness campaigns.
But there’s also research suggesting that colleges can and should do more to deter underage drinking. Last month, the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study concluded that students drink more on campuses that have a strong drinking culture, few alcohol-control policies on campus or in the adjacent community, weak enforcement of policies and easier access to alcohol through special promotions and low pricing by local stores and bars. The Harvard study found binge drinking didn’t exist at some colleges, while others had four out of five students bingeing, suggesting that specific college environments contribute to the problem.
It’s easy to understand the motivation of the 129 college presidents who have signed on to the Amethyst Initiative. No longer would they nail-bite their way through first semester fretting over inexperienced and immoderate freshmen swigging fifths of vodka and falling off dorm balconies. But the problem wouldn’t disappear with a lower drinking age; it would land like a hot potato in the hands of high school principals, who wouldn’t necessarily find too many allies among parents.
A consistent research finding is that parents shrug off underage drinking as a rite of passage. Studies also cite fraternities and sororities as epicenters of campus alcohol abuse, yet most college presidents don’t want to take on the Greek armies.
In “Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America’s Colleges and Universities,” the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that fraternity and sorority members are far likelier than non-Greeks to binge. Sixty-four percent of Greeks report binge drinking, compared with 37 percent of their classmates.
At the time that the Columbia center released its study last year, its director, Joseph A. Califano Jr., issued a statement that the Amethyst Initiative signers and parents ought to heed:
“By failing to become part of the solution, these Pontius Pilate presidents and parents, deans, trustees and alumni have become part of the problem. Their acceptance of a status quo of rampant alcohol and other drug abuse puts the best and the brightest —- and the nation’s future —- in harm’s way.”
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Comments
By "The Corporal"
August 25, 2008 9:09 AM | Link to this
Ms. Downey:
I very seldom agree with your editorial opinions but I also give credit when it is due. You are “right on” on this one.
Colleges could solve this problem overnight if they wanted to very simply.
First offense: You are expelled for the quarter/semester no matter if it is the last day and all credit for that period is lost - end of discussion.
Second offense: Expelled from the college or university permanently.
Serious issues require dranconian measures.
By Shane M. Geeter
August 25, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this
The unusual thing about this issue is that there should be historical data to support or refute your column. Georgia lowered the drinking age in 1972 from 21 to 18, then increased it back to 21 in the 1980’s. I would had loved to see whether binge drinking by 18 to 21 year olds increased when the drinking age was lowered, or stayed the same, and what actually happended when it was raised.
That data would have been valuable, and I am disappointed your article made no mention of it.
.
By Logical Dude
August 25, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this
Seriously, do they have these drinking problems in Europe, where the drinking age is much lower than 21?
Much binge drinking results from having little access to alcohol. So when there IS access, there is over-consumption. If young adults were allowed a glass of wine at a restaurant, a beer every once in a while, there would be no need to “try it out” and get smashing drunk. Of course it will still happen in some cases, but the prohibitionist viewpoint is not working, and our efforts can be targeted to better uses.
Parents who let their kids drink are not criminals, not any more than our European counterparts. It is the short-sited law that should be changed.
Now, DRIVING under the influence should be penalized, and teens driving under the influence should lose their license until the age of 18, or 1 year, whichever is greater. Let’s focus on what is hurting the kids and society. A teen having a beer with friends harms nobody.
By maureen downey
August 25, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this
What’s interesting is that European countries with 18-year-old drinking ages are seeing a rise in bingeing. That would seem to refute the notion that an earlier drinking age leads to more responsible drinking behaviors One other fact to keep in mind is how few teens drive in Europe For example, drivers 21 and under comprise 3 percent of the drivers in England, but they represent 13.6 percent of U.S. drivers. In addition, 91 percent of American households have at least one car while 73 percent of British households own a car. I think the U.S. is unique in that more of our teens are behind the wheel of a car on a regular basis.. Now, 60 percent of fatal accidents involving teens are alcohol-related. I think that number would increase with a lower drinking age.
By Carter is a Fool
August 25, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
I am glad to see that Maureen is running this today. She had a brilliant idea about report cards for teachers. She expressed the opinion that we should judge teachers by the quality of the student’s achievement. How simplistic. Education is hard to evaluate, but that does not stop her from a simplistic solution.
Well I have a plan for the AJC. We will not only have a report card for teachers, but we are creating a report card for columnists and editorial board staff. We will judge your effectiveness by how much your work has increased the circulation and/or revenue of the Atlanta Urinal and Constipation. This would be fair as we can easily find these numbers from past years.
Wait, no one is buying this rag. You must all be performing poorly. Your left leaning drivel is not selling. So Cox is selling papers, but not yours yet. Well soon as revenue continues to decline for the left leaning media, YOU WILL BE OUT OF WORK.
By Carter is a Fool
August 25, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this
I am glad to see that Maureen is running this today. She had a brilliant idea about report cards for teachers. She expressed the opinion that we should judge teachers by the quality of the student’s achievement. How simplistic. Education is hard to evaluate, but that does not stop her from a simplistic solution.
Well I have a plan for the AJC. We will not only have a report card for teachers, but we are creating a report card for columnists and editorial board staff. We will judge your effectiveness by how much your work has increased the circulation and/or revenue of the Atlanta Urinal and Constipation. This would be fair as we can easily find these numbers from past years.
Wait, no one is buying this rag. You must all be performing poorly. Your left leaning drivel is not selling. So Cox is selling papers, but not yours yet. Well soon as revenue continues to decline for the left leaning media, YOU WILL BE OUT OF WORK.
By Don The Adult Spervisor
August 25, 2008 9:18 PM | Link to this
Maureen, Maureen, Maureen. As a 50+ yr old parent of a 22 & 25 yr old, I agree with the college presidents. And you will too…..if you honestly answer the following question: Did you have a drink when you were under 21? Maureen, 98% of us did and we all broke the law in secret, behind closed doors, and often in settings that were not ideal or even dangerous. In other words, it is a law which invites breaking and is woefully unenforceable. I really find your position, as well as that of the AJC, comical in that you are in favor of 18 yr olds deciding on their own to have an abortion but deny them the choice of having a glass of wine with dinner or a beer with friends. Hello? Not to mention the age old arguments that they already have a right to vote, leave home, marry, have children, serve in the armed forces, and act as an adult in contractual and legal matters…..all without parental consent. What am I missing here? Responsibly enjoying an occassional drink seems to pale in comparison. Go ahead and admit it Maureen, you did it and now that you are over 21 you don’t want anyone else to do it. Small minded.
By marko
August 27, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this
This is a nation of laws, and In my opinion we have way to many. 18 or 21 it does’nt matter. Some 18 year olds are mature enough to drink responsibly while many thirty year olds lack this ability. Will people never learn that complex problems can’t be solved by silly arbitrary laws.
By Marcin
October 7, 2008 7:27 PM | Link to this
how come that in all the coutnires across the world where drinking age starts at 18, not a single a person is asking whether or not the drinking age should be rasied? They don’t have problems like we do. Yes, in the short run drinking would increase becasue all the people that were under 21 will be exploiting the legal drinking.. in the long run it WILL decrease drinking since alcohol will seem to be a more normal thing. People drinking at 16? I was 14 when I was drinking and so was 3/4 of the 2,800 people in the high school I went to. No one cares about this stupid law.
You did it when you were under 21. And you do drive above the speed limit.
Sorry, I think your post is pathetic.