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From: folta@yale-comix.UUCP (Stephen Folta)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics
Subject: Re: Fed. Drinking Age vs State's Rights
Message-ID: <4208@yale-comix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 5-Jul-84 15:10:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: yale-comix.4208
Posted: Thu Jul  5 15:10:09 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 9-Jul-84 00:32:13 EDT
References: <1427@proper.UUCP>, <8205@watmath.UUCP>
Organization: Yale University CS Dept., New Haven CT
Lines: 40
Keywords: blood borders,drinking age

> Rather than raise the drinking age to 21 years to remove "blood borders", why
> not lower it to 18?  Other cutting off points to consider are 0 and 200 years.

Absolutely!!

18-20 year-olds should not be used as a scapegoat for a problem that affects
all adults.  Most people don't seem to realize that the issue of having a
drinking age higher than the age of majority has implications beyond the
simple fact of whether those affected can legally drink or not.  As a young
(19) musician, I feel particularly oppressed because most clubs featuring
live music serve drinks, and are not supposed to allow "underage" customers
to even enter the doors.  In Connecticut, there are a few clubs that have
instituted "juice bars", a system whereby people without ID can get in to
see the band, but anyone who wants to drink alcohol must get a special
stamp (or something like that).  This is obviously a good solution, but
most clubs have no interest in implementing it.

I no longer drink recreationally (I don't drive either), but it still seems
to me that the law is giving a double message to people of my age group:
"Yes, of course you're an adult, but not really."  You've already heard the
argument:  We can vote, pay taxes, and be sent to war, but we can't drink
(or go to see much live music).

I would be grateful if someone could post the following statistics to the
net (or just send me mail):
   1. How much does the rate of accidents involving alcohol decrease when
      a state raises it's drinking age?  Is all of the change attributable
      to the age change, or could other factors be involved?  How does this
      compare with the percentage of 18-20 years olds involved in alcohol-
      related accidents before the change?

   2. In many European countries the drinking age is lower than the driving
      age.  What percentage of alcohol-related accidents in these countries
      involve 18-20 year-olds?

Thank you.

Stephen Folta
decvax!yale-comix!folta