College Presidents Want Drinking Age Lowered to 18

via Ramesh Ponnuru in The Corner

College Presidents Want Lower Drinking Age

Good grief - where were these presidents when I was in school? Having said that, I think this is a long overdue change (back), largely because as it is, getting alcohol and binge drinking when I was under 21 was never a problem. There were always house parties, frat parties, friends, and casual aquaintances and even bars that were more than willing to provide me with all the booze I could drink, well before I ever approached 21.

Interesting segments:

A recent Associated Press analysis of federal records found that 157 college-age people, 18 to 23, drank themselves to death between 1999 and 2005.

Not sure why this stat is thrown in there, it doesn't really seem to prove anything either way. 157 deaths due to over drinking in six years among a population of millions is incredibly insignificant, and without knowing what other factors contributed to the deaths, to blame them on the drinking age is silly.

Then there's always this argument in favor of the age 18 limit, which I feel is hard to refute:

But the statement makes clear the signers think the current law isn't working, citing a "culture of dangerous, clandestine binge-drinking," and noting that while adults under 21 can vote and enlist in the military, they "are told they are not mature enough to have a beer."

I certainly would have no problem with changing the eligible voting age to 21, or even higher (I think the enlistment age is fine), but if the government things that people are adults at age 18, which they surely must be if they are allowed to vote and to join the military, then there is absolutely no reason why they are not adult enough to legally have a drink. To continue to insist on this policy is just another example of the nanny-state mentality.

I would rarely offer support for a college president, (particularly from Duke) but in this instance they are getting behind a worthy cause. This is one of those rare issues on which the right and the left, particularly the younger, as well as the more "extreme," factions of each, should be able to agree. I'd be surprised if this didn't come to pass within the next presidential term, no matter who wins.