Rethinking drinking

Let’s be honest — it’s extremely rare that people actually wait until they’re 21 years old to drink alcohol, especially college students. It’s no secret that underage drinking occurs every day, and that’s not going to change.

But, there’s an underlying problem. These underage drinkers are forced to consume alcohol in unsafe situations, due to the fact they can’t get into bars or clubs.

We all know the problems that can come from drinking when there’s no supervision. In a bar setting, there’s at least security who can intervene when these situations arise, but at a fraternity or house party, they’re helpless.

Women are especially in danger. Although it’s impossible to eliminate the risk of an assault occurring altogether, being able to access a place where sober workers and security guards are present would improve the feeling of safety. There would be a place to feel better about going out with other girls, allowing for a more fun and relaxed way to unwind.

Lowering the age could potentially save lives as well. There are so many young adults who refuse medical treatment when they seriously need it, simply because they are underage and don’t want to get in trouble.

That fear can cause serious health problems, and in rarer cases, death. Although some states now have amnesty laws protecting underage drinkers who need medical attention, there’s still a fear of parents or legal guardians, schools, and/or sports coaches finding out, and severely punishing them.

Economically, the new wave of drinkers would bring in additional revenue to bars, clubs and liquor stores. They could use this money to expand their security coverage, add more events, drink specials or even invest in ways to make sure intoxicated people get home safe.

It’s understandable that some people wouldn’t be willing to just give 18 to 19 year olds the privilege to access alcohol, but I have a solution for that.

Take getting your driver’s license. You aren’t just given the privilege when you turn 16, you have to take the class, pass a few tests and then you can get it.

Or, if you don’t want to go through that process, you can wait until you’re 18 years old and just take the driving test.

We could apply that process to 18 to 19 year olds drinking, as well. You can start taking a class right before you turn 18, pass a few tests, and get a drinking permit. Or, like your driver’s license, you can just wait until you turn 21 and automatically get the privilege.

These classes would open up more job opportunities and would give young adults the chance to more safely do what they already sneak around to do. It would promote young adults to be more responsible and would significantly decrease the amount of binge drinking since drinking would no longer be just an occasional opportunity.

Since this is a topic mainly concerned with the college setting, there was an effort among college and university presidents to reopen this argument in 2008, and the Amethyst Initiative was created.

Currently, there are 136 presidents who have signed their support to lower the drinking age, including those of Dartmouth College, Duke University, Pacific Lutheran University and even the College of Idaho.

Most countries have a minimum legal drinking age of 18 years old, and we used to be part of that list. It’s time to get back there and start helping young adults stay safe.

Kasey Haren can be reached at [email protected]