College presidents want drinking age lowered to 18

[J.T.supporta]

With lower drinking age comes high penalties for DUI/DWI offenses

That slurping sound you hear in the background is jtstang and/or Stallion licking their lips anticipating all of the legal fees that they'll rack up defending such cases. ;)

They are not anticipating more legal fees, they are salivating at the thought of 18 year old girls in the bars to prey on

haha, so im guessing thats why you want them to drop the drinking age.

[couch 'em]

DiamondM75, is the drinking age 60 where you live?

I agree that this is largely about colleges wanting to remove the liability that comes with having 75% of your campus underage.

Maybe someone that was around 'back then' can answer this for me: When the legal age was 18, would the same scenario play out, but just on a younger scale with high schoolers? I know many high school seniors are 18, so how does that work? What's stopping Jimmy and Johnny from popping in to the liquor store after school lets out? I guess parents can have more influence at that age (ie kids living at home), but it's something to think about.

I was a naive young teenager, but I do not think the 18 year age limit would interpret to the same effect with 16 and 17 year old kids in the manner that the 21 year limit translates to 18 year old kids. The 16 year olds do not have the same arguments as D75 mapped out, and they tend to have different priorities and do not run with the 19, 20, and 21 year olds like 18 year old college kids would.

That said, the ages of those drinking today I believe are considerably lower than they were in my age group. Whether 18 or 21 limit, I think there are more 12 and ups drinking these days than in mine.

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/youthissues/1085160584.html




When I was in high school most people just smoked pot or did other light drugs because it was much easier, cheaper to come by, and concealable than alcohol.

[mrydel]

That chart surprises me a little but my main reference was to the younger age that kids drink. The 10, 11, 12 year olds. However, if you extend that chart back to the year I was 18, 283% would have consumed alcohol in the previous 30 days.

[MustangStealth]

Fixed the title...


High School Seniors honest enough to tell the truth about their alcohol use

[smupony94]

With lower drinking age comes high penalties for DUI/DWI offenses

That slurping sound you hear in the background is jtstang and/or Stallion licking their lips anticipating all of the legal fees that they'll rack up defending such cases.

They are not anticipating more legal fees, they are salivating at the thought of 18 year old girls in the bars to prey on

haha, so im guessing thats why you want them to drop the drinking age.

Nah, I only date 19 and up. About half my age so it is less creepy.

[Pony Soup]

the bottom line is that the Universities are tired of being sued when something happens to an underage drinker on campus and they think this will absolve them from a lot of the liability if the partaking of the alcohol is not by someone of an illegal age to do so.

No question liability is on the mind of university lawyers, but safety is the main concern for many of those who run these schools and actually interact with students, particularly at smu. Regardless of the age, it is safer for students to drink legally, in public. I say change it.

[smu diamond m]

You have to be 21 to buy a handgun, and also 21 to be eligible for conceal and carry licensure. 18 is the age for long guns.

[EastStang]

The main idea was that 18 year olds are still in high school (for at least part of their senior year and there are 19 year olds as well). This means that they can go out and buy the beer and then give it to their underage friends. The death rate in the 70's after they lowered the drinking age and the speed limits continued to go up. After they lowered the drinking age there are still teenagers killed while driving but the percentages have gone down. The problem is of course that teenagers do not have the experience behind the will that older drivers have. Add a little alcohol and that is a recipe for disaster.

[J.T.supporta]

18 is the age for long guns.

TWSS

[RednBlue11]

Turner will be THE last pres. to sign this