 "Photo:")
Underage drinking happens. Anyone who has ever lived in a college dorm cannot begin to refute this.
The consumption is so ubiquitous that authority figures like the police or resident assistants often turn their backs to this law breaking.
Isn't that a funny thing to call it: law breaking?
Since the National Drinking Age Act of 1984, this has been the case. The federal government decided to make all states keep the drinking age at 21. And for the past 21 years it has been accepted.
Recently Rep. Richard Marron introduced a bill in Vermont's House of Representatives that would lower the drinking age to 18.
This makes sense to me. At 18, an American citizen graduates from being a minor and is thought to be bestowed the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
We can be drafted, we can get jury duty, we can vote, we can buy guns and we can get put to death, but we can't legally drink.
This certainly doesn't stop anyone, though.
I, myself, was caught for drinking in the dorms. I had to report to a psychologist on campus so he could determine what sort of punishment was appropriate and how serious my drinking "problem" was. I was, initially, sentenced to 12 one-hour sessions of therapy. My case wasn't severe and the punishment was excessive.
I went to Judicial Affairs and appealed the psychologist's decision, saying I could cite cases where the violations had been more severe and the punishment wasn't as harsh. I was told I was misinformed. I was told that punishments are consistent. Then I had them pull up a file of my friend whose violation report was exactly the same as mine and whose punishment was more than half as drastic. To be fair, they lowered my punishment.
Why was I made an example of? Why are the Judicial Affairs punishments inconsistent? Do they just roll dice to determine one's fate?
I wasn't belligerent or uncooperative, and if I were 21, there would be no question of alcoholism. But since I'm under 21, I have a problem?
"It's just a bad idea to lower the drinking age to 18, because we would most likely see an increase in highway fatalities," Angela Baker, a Vermont substance abuse prevention specialist, said.
Why are those under 21 any more likely to drink and drive than those over?
In other countries the drinking age isn't really a big deal. Not that I've done lots of traveling and drinking, but I think based on so many accounts it's pretty safe to assume. And countries with a lower drinking age have a lot less alcohol-related problems. It just doesn't make sense.
Alcohol will cause car accidents and crime regardless of age. If we are responsible enough to shoot guns at the Iraqis, then we should be considered responsible for controlling ourselves while under the influence.
Also, a reason underage drinking gets to be such a problem is the fact that it is illegal. Many probably get a rush from breaking the law, even if their deviance doesn't stray from the norm.
And though nobody really gets years in jail or any major punishments for drinking underage, prosecutions and fines can be heavy.
It's my personal belief that Towson University makes a pretty penny from fining those who get caught drinking. They say those fines are to pay for the punishments the students receive, but I can't be convinced a "don't drink" seminar and a few pamphlets will cost $100 per student.
Typically, everyone in college is over 18. If the law was changed from 21 to 18 then college, which is stereotypically known for underage drinking, would no longer be a sanctuary for this delinquency.
I'm not advocating irresponsibility or anything like that. I just think it would be nice if turning 18 truly meant gaining the full privileges of your citizenship and that drinking alcohol didn't legally endanger you.
Other states should follow in Vermont's footsteps and introduce a similar bill -- that would be a step in the right direction.
Andrew Payton is a freshman EMF major and The Towerlight's assistant arts editor.
RSS Feeds
