21: Is It Time to Lower the Drinking Age?

The drinking age in the US has been 21 for more than 20 years.

Today, we all take the drinking age for granted, but should we? In fact, the US is one of only four countries in the world with a drinking age as high as 21--the other three are Indonesia, Mongolia and Palau.

Is the policy working to reduce health and safety issues related to youthful alchohol abuse? Is enforcing the drinking age the best use of scarce public resources? What are the unintended consequences of alcohol prohibition for 18-20 year olds?

Organizations such as Mother Against Drunk Driving (MADD) argue that the drinking age is an effective policy and that the answer to ongoing alcohol related problems for 18-20 year olds is more education and better enforcement.

John McCardell, president of Choose Responsibility, and 135 university presidents and chancellors across the country believe it's time to take a fresh look at the drinking age. The former president of Middlebury College and the new head of Sewanee/University of the South, McCardell says our current system encourages unsupervised binge drinking.

Reason.tv went to the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin to get a first-hand look at the war on underage drinking.

Produced and hosted by Paul Feine; shot and edited by Alex Manning.

Approximately 10 minutes long. Go to http://reason.tv for downloadable iPod, HD and audio versions of this and all our videos. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube page and receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• reason.tv
• reason.com
• reason.org
• reason foundation
• reason magazine
• prohibition
• drinking
• binge drinking
• MADD
• choose responsibility
• john mcardell
• house parties
• underage drinking
• amethyst initiative

[evb4mvp]

i can take a bullet in the face yet i cant get shit faced, now thats fucked up

[zeekyblahIV]

I'm 22 years old and i still say the drinking age of 21 is bullshit. That cow and all the other "Mothers against drunk driving" should stop worrying about teens drinking and focus on people of ALL AGES who drink and drive.

[SouthernR0cker4Life]

Wow! Only 4 Countries, the US and 3 Third World Countries. Most of Europe it's 18.

[TigerghostPictures]

I find it ridiculous that people seem to become less passionate about this issue once they turn 21. I'm 22, I don't even drink, and I think that the federal drinking law is ridiculous now as it was when I was underage. I saw those parties in high school, I had friends that drank. I was their DD most of the time. It's a stupid law and the drinking age should return to the states where it belongs.

[wesleydwrds]

The whole 21 year old drinking age law is just stupid, if they wanna drink there gonna drink you can't stop them, besides that there just making it worse by setting it so high because then the underage drinkers don't have someone to teach them the consequences and effects of alcohol use. It's like jumping into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim you either learn quickly or your screwed. Luckily I'll be 21 next month .

[conned126]

All these hypocritical morons. Guess what? I'm underage and I'm going to have a drink. I work, pay my taxes, and have responsibilities as every adult citizen. The 21 year old drinking age has completely backfired and the cops just like it because it's another good source of revenue. The law is completely unenforceable (trust me, I'm breaking it right now) and we should learn from other countries examples, because it works for them. All the drinking age does is create a culture of binge drinkers

[NewZealandRugbygod]

@PerturbedMan yo i love how the president is a dude and yet he a mother agains drunk driving

[NewZealandRugbygod]

@mediaflameflaps kid its not the time that is bull shit it is the simple fact that just because some people think it is cool to get fucked up that it is cool to not remember shit is bullshit, me personally i drink to have fun with friends not get drunk infact i hate being drunk its the freedom to say when i am 18 me dad and i can go get a beer together because truthfully i dont know if my dad will se me hit 21

[NewZealandRugbygod]

@TheTrueGamble hoooooah

[NewZealandRugbygod]

@Exstadrenaline dude ya man it ok when your 18 to get blown the fuck up but na NO BEER FOR YOU i am the beer nazi

[NewZealandRugbygod]

@insignia2543 did you not listen to the analogy if parents could legally help their kids there would be less i am getting shit faced attitudes and there would be less appeal

[NewZealandRugbygod]

@shotsky94 i drank irish wiskey at three god damn right