100 U.S College presidents urge lowering of drinking age.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

I also love how the campus policies were almost designed to make getting away as easy as possible. For example rooms couldn't be checked without permission by CAs or security unless there was a disturbance even if they had full knowledge there was alcohol inside of them. So if a kid walked out of a room with a beer, he could be cited, but no one else in the room unless they were being loud.

Also inspection of backpacks was basically completely banned. When a guy is leaving or entering the dorms at 2AM with a backpack, what's he have in it? I doubt late night studying is that common. Then there was the absolute joke of enforcement of people entering the dorms, while in theory you had to check in all you had to do was flash your student ID.

[Keystone Phil]

So does that mean they don't ever drink or binge?

No but that doesn't mean the law should just be changed. I don't believe in simply allowing something because most people do it anyway. It's like getting rid of speed limits. Do we follow them all the time? No. Should they be eliminated? No.

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I don't care about casual, responsible drinking. I'm not calling for prohibition here, BRTD. I'm not calling it a crisis. I wish we had a history similar to Europe's when it came to drinking. I wish people were more responsible here and we could have more laid back laws. However, that's not the case.

[Boris]

I'm surprised they're advocating this. I would have thought colleges make a lots of revenue from underage drinking tickets.

Huh? Mine never gave those out. What happened was anyone with alcohol on campus (even if they were 21 or over) was given a warning, and then a second warning, and a then a third written formal warning and then another one and then they might get moved and after thatmaybe kicked out of the dorms. That was the "dry" (haha, what a joke) campus alcohol policy.

I know the University of Illinois makes substantial revenue from drinking tickets; let me try and find a source:

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http://www.news-gazette.com/special/unofficial/story/2008/02/24/and_underage_problem_is_yearround

Hmm, so it looks like the town of Champaign collects the revenue rather than the University. They lowered the "bar age" from 21 to 19 probably to collect such revenue. According to anecdotal reports, the cops at Madison are pretty chill and won't bother you unless you're disruptive and people notice. Which seems like a sensible policy to me.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

So does that mean they don't ever drink or binge?

No but that doesn't mean the law should just be changed. I don't believe in simply allowing something because most people do it anyway. It's like getting rid of speed limits. Do we follow them all the time? No. Should they be eliminated? No.

But in this case the law is just making the situation worse.

I don't care about casual, responsible drinking. I'm not calling for prohibition here, BRTD.

You are for those under 21. You are basically saying anyone under 21 must never ever have a sip of alcohol under any circumstances.

[7,052,770]

I say keep the age that it is, because any 18-20 year old who wants to drink is probably a loser and deserves to have to be slightly inconvenienced.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

I say keep the age that it is, because any 18-20 year old who wants to drink is probably a loser

Gee thanks.

[NDN]

I say keep the age that it is, because any 18-20 year old who wants to drink is probably a loser and deserves to have to be slightly inconvenienced.

I love you too.

[NDN]

I don't care about casual, responsible drinking. I'm not calling for prohibition here, BRTD. I'm not calling it a crisis. I wish we had a history similar to Europe's when it came to drinking. I wish people were more responsible here and we could have more laid back laws. However, that's not the case.

To be honest it's not that drinking is prohibited that bothers me so much as the complete and total inconsistency (hypocrisy) of the law. Either an 18 year old has full legal rights as an adult or they don't. If we're going to deny them the right to drink because they can't handle it, like children, then we should raise the age for other 'adult' things to 21 too.

[Keystone Phil]

But in this case the law is just making the situation worse.

Uh, I don't see how...

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Right, BRTD. You're right. I should have known you'd still argue on your second grade level on one of your favorite topics.

[Keystone Phil]

I don't care about casual, responsible drinking. I'm not calling for prohibition here, BRTD. I'm not calling it a crisis. I wish we had a history similar to Europe's when it came to drinking. I wish people were more responsible here and we could have more laid back laws. However, that's not the case.

To be honest it's not that drinking is prohibited that bothers me so much as the complete and total inconsistency (hypocrisy) of the law. Either an 18 year old has full legal rights as an adult or they don't. If we're going to deny them the right to drink because they can't handle it, like children, then we should raise the age for other 'adult' things to 21 too.

Well, the age of 21 wasn't just picked out of a hat. I understand what you're saying but I think exceptions should be made.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

But in this case the law is just making the situation worse.

Uh, I don't see how...

It increases binge drinking among the under 21 crowd. Drinking is now a thrill. If it's legal, it's not as thrilling or fun.

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Right, BRTD. You're right. I should have known you'd still argue on your second grade level on one of your favorite topics.

So you are saying there are circumstances when it's OK for people under 21 to drink?

[Keystone Phil]

It increases binge drinking among the under 21 crowd. Drinking is now a thrill. If it's legal, it's not as thrilling or fun.

Eh, I doubt it.

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Sure. I've had wine at several family occassions. I drink maybe half a glass because I don't care for it that much.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

It increases binge drinking among the under 21 crowd. Drinking is now a thrill. If it's legal, it's not as thrilling or fun.

Eh, I doubt it.

No one gets a thrill out of underage drinking? Are you that naive?

Why has my alcohol consumption rate not changed at all?

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Sure. I've had wine at several family occassions. I drink maybe half a glass because I don't care for it that much.

So you broke the law.

Do you think it's OK for the two people mentioned before to drink in the circumstances I mentioned?

[Keystone Phil]

No one gets a thrill out of underage drinking? Are you that naive?

I never said that, child. Seriously. Don't twist my words. Learn simple logic, dude.

I said that that doesn't mean it won't be thrilling or fun. Get a damn clue.

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I don't know/don't know how that's relevant.

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Yep, I broke the law. I also broke the law when I went 75 in a 55 MPH zone on the highway!

As long as it's responsible drinking, I really don't mind. I just don't think the law should be changed though.

In social settings, the aim seems to be to get drunk. That's not something I'm ok with.

[Jake]

Is there anyone under 21 who is seriously inconvenienced at getting alcohol or drinking? Seriously.

Irrelevent. At 19, I shouldn't have to make even one phone call to get alcohol.

I'd like to see it lowered to 16 and then increase enforcement and raise penalties for providing alcohol to minors. Anecdotal of course, but I've never heard of responsible drinking by under 16s.

[Sbane]

I say keep the age that it is, because any 18-20 year old who wants to drink is probably a loser and deserves to have to be slightly inconvenienced.

So you mean our whole college population are losers?

[Franzl]

Yes, it should be lowered to 18 (or lower). At 18 you are a legal adult, and I find it discriminatory and...quite frankly....embarrassing...the way drinking laws are handled in the U.S. You can drive at 16 (being a legal child), you can have everything else at 18, when you reach the age of majority. (like buying a gun, for example). The hypocrisy of it all is amazing.

Is there anyone here that seriously believes that drinking a beer is MORE dangerous than owning and operating a weapon?

[Хahar 🤔]

I'm surprised they're advocating this. I would have thought colleges make a lots of revenue from underage drinking tickets.

They used to make a whole lot of money from sales of alcohol at events.

[Flying Dog]

I'd be in favor of an 18 age limit because I don't agree with the principle that you can die for your country but not have a beer.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I'd be in favor of an 18 age limit because I don't agree with the principle that you can die for your country but not have a beer.

It actually makes more sense to me to hike the combat age to 21 than to drop the drinking age to 18.

[Flying Dog]

I'd be in favor of an 18 age limit because I don't agree with the principle that you can die for your country but not have a beer.

It actually makes more sense to me to hike the combat age to 21 than to drop the drinking age to 18.

Yeah, but that stands an even slimmer chance than the drinking age going back down to 18.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I wouldn't be opposed to making beer and wine legal to people 18 and up with hard liquor available to 21+.

This allows people to get acclimated to drinking drinks with a lower alcohol content, which is much less dangerous (despite what the MADD crowd will tell you).

I'm sorry, but downing 12 shots in 30 minutes before you head over to the guys' dorms is never safe.  And downing 12 beers is simply not possible.

The non-drinkers and MADD crowd need to open their eyes a bit.  This is not an emotional debate, it is one of pragmatism and fostering responsible behavior over pure social engineering.


My university hired a new dean of student life that was big on trying to reduce underage drinking.  His whole message was "it's your choice, but it's illegal and if we catch you, you'll be written up".

The reaction by students was unanimously negative and he became loathed by the student body and eventually by the monastery, and he was forced out.  The guy he was replaced with was more lax and instead focussed on responsibility campaign.

Rather than having signs all over campus with things like "35% of students decide not to drink at all" and "Alcohol is bad" or other ridiculous stuff to that effect, they had the "Stop at Buzzed" campaign.

This campaign had a very positive reception, because of two things

1)  It acknowledged that most students under 21 chose to drank.

2)  It sought to promote more responsible and less dangerous drinking by focussing on dangerous drinking behavior like drinking games or drinking on an empty stomach.

You aren't going to do any good or make anytihng better by taking a hardline "punishment" approach.  You'll just piss people off and make it worse. 

[Keystone Phil]

The non-drinkers and MADD crowd need to open their eyes a bit.  This is not an emotional debate, it is one of pragmatism and fostering responsible behavior over pure social engineering.

And some people need to realize this little piece of information - NJ briefly lowered the drinking age years ago. It was a total disaster. It is now 21 again. That's not emotionally based either.

[bullmoose88]

The non-drinkers and MADD crowd need to open their eyes a bit.  This is not an emotional debate, it is one of pragmatism and fostering responsible behavior over pure social engineering.

And some people need to realize this little piece of information - NJ briefly lowered the drinking age years ago. It was a total disaster. It is now 21 again. That's not emotionally based either.

How long ago was that?

[Keystone Phil]

The non-drinkers and MADD crowd need to open their eyes a bit.  This is not an emotional debate, it is one of pragmatism and fostering responsible behavior over pure social engineering.

And some people need to realize this little piece of information - NJ briefly lowered the drinking age years ago. It was a total disaster. It is now 21 again. That's not emotionally based either.

How long ago was that?

1970s