Debating the age to drink - St. Petersburg Times

By Helen Anne Travis and Catriona Stuart, Times Staff Writers
In print: Wednesday, August 20, 2008

The Duke University, Dartmouth College and Eckerd College presidents were among 100 college leaders calling for a discussion of lowering the drinking age to 18. They say current laws encourage binge drinking.

We asked some interested parties -- including a teenager, a bar owner, a bartender and a funeral home owner -- what they think of lowering the drinking age.

"I know people in high school who drink and that's well below the drinking age. I don't feel like lowering the drinking age would promote kids to drink; they're already exposed to it. The laws are used to keep people under 21 from drinking, but people under 18 drink. What is the success of that?"

Billy Vranish, 17, senior at Chamberlain High School in Tampa

"(Drinking) is something that I would like to maintain at the age of 21. Hopefully, the child would take the responsibility of following the rules. Their job is to get away with as much as possible; our job is to not let them get away with it."

"Our kids at 18, they can go fight for their country and lose their life, they can vote, they can certainly make the decision whether or not to drink. ... I think that in a way having it illegal adds to the whole aura and the whole mystique about going to do something that you're not allowed to do."

"Eighteen concerns me because there are high school seniors who are 18. Easy access will make it that much easier for high school students to have it available at parties. ... I really don't see a whole lot of education going on about drinking (in the United States) other than 'don't.' "

"My entire family is from Denmark, and over in Europe they don't have a drinking age. When I was in Denmark, there were plenty of people that were around middle school (age) and they were drinking. They weren't necessarily getting drunk, but they were allowed to drink wine or beer. Nobody made a big deal out of it because they're used to it. That's what they do."

"I know kids are doing everything they can to get around the (drinking age). I mean if they're 19 or 20, they have fake IDs. In a week's time I would say 10 to 15 times we catch kids trying to drink that aren't of age. When I was 18, the law was 18 and I don't think there was any more problems than there are now."

"I can't necessarily say making every bar 21 and up is fair. I can't necessarily say lowering the drinking age is fair either. At 18, you don't seem old enough to accept that responsibility. You're just getting a grasp on driving, and you're adding alcohol to that? I can't believe that came out of my mouth, I feel so old right now."

"They want to deter binge drinking. I don't think that they take into account that it's not going to change the desire on the part of some people who want to go out and binge drink. They just don't have to worry about any repercussions now."

"Back when it was 18, I thought that there was a higher incidence of younger people abusing alcohol. I was one of them probably. But ... if I remember back to that time, there were more younger people abusing it than in the higher age groups. I don't have any statistics to back it up, and it was a long time ago, but it was changed after a few years for a reason. And I think that reason that it was changed back to 21 is still valid now."

Paul Misiewicz, 55, St. Petersburg, worked at World Liquors when the drinking age was 18

Comments on this article

by Bernie	Aug 24, 2008 10:27 AM
The moral standards in this country seem to get lower and lower all the time. Will this up the percentage of alcoholics?

by Lenore	Aug 21, 2008 11:39 AM
If people are going to use the excuse about joining the Military for lowering the drinking age.Here is a thought,if you want to drink at 18 then join the service.If you aren't in the service then it remains 21.

by jason	Aug 21, 2008 8:57 AM
the law defines adulthood as being 18. these kids can buy a gun before they can buy alcohol? they can be charged as adult before they can buy alcohol? I say lower the drinking age, or raise the age of consent to 21. it's just inconsistent.

by Jules	Aug 21, 2008 8:57 AM
In Europe (and most of the rest of the world) it's the legal DRIVING age that is higher - 17 and above, and the legal drinking age averages 18. This makes sense - and a much lower death rate for teenagers than in the US.

by Kim	Aug 21, 2008 8:55 AM
American parents do such a poor job of educating their kids to be mature adults that American's are too immature to handle the responsibility of drinking responsibly at 25 and under. We need to raise the drinking age to 25.

by Don	Aug 21, 2008 8:55 AM
Growing up the legal age was 21. I had friends that had started drinking at 12 and 13, the legal age doesn't make a difference. All the reasons some of you are giving for not lowering it can be applied to adults over 21 as well.

by Stacy	Aug 21, 2008 8:55 AM
Is there a study that compares the rate of binge drinking to other industrialized nations where the age is 18? My dad was in the Navy, and we spent time overseas--I can't recall the teens in Spain and Italy doing bong shots until they puked. J

by Pete	Aug 21, 2008 8:55 AM
This debate won't last very long. MADD is doing all it can to intimidate university presidents into taking their names off the petition. They're a bunch of big-hair relics from the 80's in my opinion...

by Kay	Aug 21, 2008 8:54 AM
Lower the drinking age to 18. Raise the driving age to 21. They'll have 3 years to kill themselves while drunk before being allowed to drive a car and kill other people. Drunk people do dumb, dangerous things.

by Chris	Aug 21, 2008 8:54 AM
My age group was the 1st who were 18 & could not drink & alcohol still was easy to obtain.Not allowing 18-21 to drink makes no sense since they vote,marry,enter into legal contracts etc.Is there any other law where people of legal age outlawed from ?

by Casey	Aug 21, 2008 8:53 AM
Having children in college I would rather the drinking age be 18. They are paying their own way and they are responsible for their student loans they why should they not be allowed to have a drink?

by Lisa	Aug 21, 2008 8:53 AM
OK so you can sign a legal contract and it be binding, you can fight for your country, you can vote but you can't have a drink. What's wrong with this picture?

by Sandra	Aug 20, 2008 4:20 PM
Make everything uniform: license, drinking, voting, military, everything. Either all at 18 or all at 21, no half-measures. 16 is too young to get a license anyway.

by James	Aug 20, 2008 4:08 PM
Age 21 is set for a reason. If you're in the military - fine - get a beer on the base at 18. Outside the military -PENALIZE AND FINE the parents for allowing or "turning the head" to their kids' behavior. If parents Assist with parenting...

by Linda	Aug 20, 2008 4:05 PM
I agree with Mike, if your old enough to fight for our country, then you should be old enough to drink!

by Karen	Aug 20, 2008 1:09 PM
I was 18 when the drinking age was 18 and it was very much in the High Schools because many Seniors were 18 and buying for their younger friend. I would not support going back to the 18 age limit for drinking.

by djf	Aug 20, 2008 12:03 PM
Young people are more prone to do what they are not allowed to. The drinking age in my state was 19 and appropriately so. You're in college running with your own age group. Kids will find alcohol either way. Education is key! Change the age to 19.

by Tara	Aug 20, 2008 12:02 PM
If you're old enough to fight in a war you're old enough to drink. The real problem is getting parents to teach our youth of America responsibility. At 19 yrs old I had the military teaching me responsibility!

by Steve	Aug 20, 2008 12:02 PM
The age limits were 19 for beer and 21 for liquor when I was growing up in Ohio. I think that worked well. My friends and I at that age could go to a bar for drinks were there was at least some supervision that is nonexistent at house parties.

by Arnold	Aug 20, 2008 11:56 AM
Funeral home should be disqualified for trying to drum up bus. HELL, YEAH, if they can go to war, they SHOULD be able to drive, drink, get all the legalized drugs they want, carry Glock's and AK-47's, roofies, man, you guys are just SO intelligent!

by Sarah	Aug 20, 2008 11:55 AM
In my opinion, the drinking age and driving age are backwards. Drink at 16. Drive at 21.

by Jim	Aug 20, 2008 11:55 AM
Spent 2 yrs in Verona, Italy. At 16 could have beer with a pizza or sandwich. Often did this with my dad or other classmates. It was never a problem, and made 3.2 beer in Ohio at 18 nothing special. Let 18 yr olds drink, they can handle it.

by Jaque	Aug 20, 2008 11:55 AM
I feel that it should not be any lower than it is now. Today's kids have no idea about moderation. I know many 21 year-olds who are not responsible enough to know their limit. Also, we don't need to add to the high school partying.

by jim	Aug 20, 2008 10:28 AM
you got to be kidding me. these places of higher learning want's the drinking age to be 18 why. now a days they start drinking around 14/15 so why change the law. 21 is the law,let it stay the law.ban beer parties at all schools.to be killed by 18 ol

by Mimi	Aug 20, 2008 10:28 AM
Kids are not binge drinking during the week they are doing in on the weekends just like they see their parents do! Binge drinking is the result of several generations of children who's parents were more concerned about careers than about their kids!

by Eric	Aug 20, 2008 10:28 AM
IF YOU ARE OLD ENOUGH TO DIE FOR YOUR COUNTRY IN COMBAT,VOTE IN THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND MARRY YOUR HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART WHY IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH DRINKING AT 18?? I agree 100% change it to 18.

by David	Aug 20, 2008 10:23 AM
18 should be the law. This would put an end to so many of our problems with underage drinking and would discourage drug use.

by rg	Aug 20, 2008 10:22 AM
If you want more drunks on the road,lower it to 18.

by Emilie	Aug 20, 2008 10:22 AM
Alcohol should be illegal. It is a drug much more dangerous than some that are illegal.

by Oddi	Aug 20, 2008 10:22 AM
Drinking is wrong at any age but to allow a teen to start drinking legally is worst.

by bob	Aug 20, 2008 10:22 AM
Why not lower the drinking age to 16 and raise the driving age to 17? Then kids have some idea what they're doing before they start driving, which is the real danger in this country.

by Ray	Aug 20, 2008 10:22 AM
This is the only Western Country that has a 21 year old "drinking age." Just another form of prohibition that does not work.

by Jim	Aug 20, 2008 10:22 AM
Spent 2 yrs in Verona, Italy. At 16 could have beer with a pizza or sandwich. Often did this with my dad or other classmates. It was never a problem, and made 3.2 beer in Ohio at 18 nothing special. Let 18 yr olds drink, they can handle it.

by Kasey	Aug 20, 2008 9:24 AM
Keep it at 21. Do we really think the maturity is there? It is more than drinking at 18-its driving AND drinking at 18. Kids can ruin their lives for a thrill. Then add the guns...

by Ron	Aug 20, 2008 9:22 AM
At 18, a person is an adult, and we recongnize that for every other purpose. The government should not be dictating adults can't drink alcohol. Doing so is the equivalent of not allowing the public to own guns, as some may commit murder.