Vermont May Lower Drinking Age
State to consider lowering drinking age to 18
More than two decades after the country established a uniform drinking age of 21, a nascent movement is afoot to allow 18- to 20-year-olds to legally buy alcohol under some circumstances.
Proponents say the higher age hasn’t kept young people from consuming alcohol and has instead driven underage consumption underground, particularly on college campuses.
“Our laws aren’t working. They’re not preventing underage drinking. What they’re doing is putting it outside the public eye,” Vermont state Sen. Hinda Miller said. “So you have a lot of kids binge drinking. They get sick, they get scared and they get into trouble and they can’t call because they know it’s illegal.”
On Thursday, a committee of the Vermont Senate approved Miller’s bill to have a task force weigh the pros and cons of rolling back the drinking age and make a recommendation to the Legislature early next year.
Organizations and lawmakers in other states are toying with similar ideas.
Here’s hoping that this sort of common sense, forward thinking spreads to other states as well.
Speaking of weird laws, has VT lifted the 8% ABV limit yet?
The bill is still in the Senate but has ample support.
Appears likely to pass the Senate…
Strange, though, methinks, that the DLC argues that the sale of beer over 8%abv in general/grocery stores will encourage underage drinking… yet there is momentum to lower the drinking age? Hmm…
From the land of nonsense:
Shaun e.