Do you think lowering the drinking age would cut binge drinking at college? (see story)

If you look at other countries where the drinking, (and in some countries drug using), age is lower you will immediately notice that the youth there have a much more mature attitude toward such things even than American adults. This is because the stigma of using such things is removed. Young people will naturally buck the system, if you say "don't walk on the grass", they will walk on the grass. It is only natural. It is the thrill of breaking the rules that appeals to them. We all loved to cross the line when we were younger. When that line is moved back, they will lose interest. I have seen many overaged adolescents here in the states who will always be a threat, but they are aging now and will soon either pass, or kill themselves.

Hiding things like alcohol from teens and young adults is only hurting them in the long run. If they were allowed to begin experimenting with alcohol in a safer environment, a glass of wine with dinner or a beer with dad while fishing on a Saturday afternoon on the lake, then they would learn responsibility from their parents rather than bad drinking habits from other teens. At today’s parties, whenever the parents are out of town, the kids find someone to get them booze and they all drink until they are sick and/or pass out. If you learn about drinking in a safe environment and learn your limits, then you are much more likely to be responsible as an adult. I’m not suggesting we lower the drinking age across the board to some ridiculously low standard; a 16-year-old who just got his license should not be able to drive to a bar and get a beer, but if he ordered one with his parents at dinner, then there should be no problem, so long as the parents are responsible too.

I believe that if an individual is of legal majority and can be tried as an adult at age 18, can vote for the leader of the free world, and can serve in the Armed Forces and defend his country, that individual should be of legal age to decide if he wishes to drink alcohol. I was 18 years old in 1976, and we were more responsible at this time; because the 'system' was not constantly trying to legislate decisions for us. Moreover, kids begin drinking at earlier ages now (13-14 in some cases), and they don't care if the legal age is 21 or 18. What you are doing is only 'criminalizing' behavior and individuals, who should be old enough to decide for themselves. Otherwise, you should change the age of majority for criminal prosecution to 21, also.