A Beer Plan
Margaret Wright -December 26, 2003

While flipping through my college newspaper, I came across a spirited article proposing (in jest) a "Beer Plan" in addition to our campus Meal Plan. The theory is that if the school provided us with alcohol, then they could at least monitor our consumption and set up "safety limits." Of course, the drinking age would have to be lowered to 18, but the writer makes a valid point: if alcohol was readily available, it would lose much of its appeal by taking away the "forbidden" aspect. I think there is much to be said on this point, and it seems rather ludicrous that our legislatures haven't given in already.

Everyone's heard the old, cliché argument that, "If you are old enough to join the army and die for your country, you should be allowed to drink." While this may be true, I see the lower drinking age as more of a safety issue. An 18 year old is as responsible enough to drink as a 21 year old. Maturity does not lie in numbers so much as in your situation; at 18, you have graduated from high school, are driving a car and holding down jobs, you are competent enough to vote, and you are able to make serious decisions….While you may not have progressed as much as a 21 year old, three years will not greatly affect your ability to choose whether or not to drink. By 18, you know how much is too much, not to drink and drive, etc.

If the drinking age was lowered, I don't foresee a huge increase in the amount of drinking, since in reality, these young adults are able to get alcohol just as easily as those of age. It is argued that in the short run there may be heavier consumption and alcohol-related problems. However, these difficulties would soon peter out. The drinking age has been 18 before, so this is not some new, shocking experiment. There will be less binge drinking, and it will become more social. Adults have different drinking habits because they don't have to sneak around. For a 19 year old college student, their opportunities to drink are fewer, so they are more prone to load up on alcohol on a Saturday night since they won't be able to the next day. Alcohol becomes novel and appealing. If you could drink all the time, you wouldn't feel so inclined to.

Despite its being illegal, those underage are drinking anyway. The true danger lies not in the drinking, but in their attempts to hide it. You have groups of kids drinking in awkward places, like parks and beaches, since they can't drink at home. Here, it is more likely for them to get hurt or cause trouble than if they were able to drink in their houses. And for most teenagers, their car is their safe haven. You'll find kids drinking in their cars because there isn't anywhere else to go. While they know it's not a good idea to drink and drive, if you feel scared to call your parents for a ride, it may seem like the only option. Here on campus, someone could be dangerously sick but refuse to call medical help for fear of getting in trouble. Parties are thrown when parents aren't home, causing underage drinking to seem covert and criminal. The fact is, people will drink. If it were accepted, you could simply drink a beer while watching the Monday night football game or anytime you wanted, without letting it become a big deal. If someone needs help, which can happen even to the oldest drinker, they will be willing to get it without fear of consequences. People will drink in safe places. Many of the dangers caused by trying to drink and not get caught would be eliminated. By taking away the restrictions, it will allow people to drink more responsibly and safely.

Much of drinking's appeal lies in its being off limits; it seems to some kids as this incredible treat, mostly because they don't know better. It's important for people to be educated on this subject - to know alcohol's effects, about blood alcohol levels, the proper ways to drink responsibly. Lowering the drinking age would open the floor for discussion, and make alcohol use less taboo and more freely talked about. Instead of being told merely that alcohol is off limits, these younger drinkers would be more familiar with it and wouldn't idealize it so much. We need to stop looking at alcohol like an illegal substance. Parents and school systems need make more of an effort to educate students and children, rather than preaching sobriety while passing over important information. Programs for younger kids could put alcohol consumption in a more approachable, sensible perspective. We tend to view alcohol as a drug, while in many European countries it is a common occurrence to have a glass of wine with a meal. Young kids drink in these countries, without the problems we experience here. Because they have access to alcohol, they are made more aware. It becomes less deviant and considered ordinary.

So, while colleges shouldn't begin to offer their students "Beer Plans," lowering the drinking age and allowing kids to do what they are doing anyway will do much to take alcohol off its pedestal. It is better to encourage kids to drink safely and responsibly then to keep it quiet and pretend it's not going on. After all, 18 is not so very young, and this age is old enough to handle the question of alcohol, especially as they have proved themselves competent enough to handle responsibility in other respects, such as the military, voting, and the job market. There are more reasons to let 18 year olds drink than not to, so I say let them drink and be merry!