An echo from the past
During the early 1980s, when state drinking ages were fluctuating wildly across the nation, Vermonters held firm with an 18 year-old drinking age until forced to raise it to 21 by the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. Then-governor Richard Snelling vetoed the state legislature’s attempts to raise the drinking age to 19 twice, once in 1982 and once in 1983. Snellings primary opposition to raising the drinking age arose from the belief that it is contradictory to allow 18 year-olds to vote and enlist in the army but not to consume alcohol. He also believed that the raising the drinking age would do little to change the complex issue of alcohol abuse, especially among young people“Until such time as adults cease believing that being drunk is funny or socially acceptable, there is no reason to expect any significant change in the behavior of our young people.” (As quoted in “Vermont continues to resist rise in drinking age,” UPI Wire, 20 April 1983)
Even more interesting than Snelling’s measured opposition to a higher drinking age were his ideas for addressing the problem of drunk driving and alcohol abuse among young people. In 1982, he proposed a required alcohol education course for all 18-20 year olds and a special ID card that would allow them to purchase alcohol after completing the course.
“‘There is no single stroke-of-the pen solution to the very complex social problem of teen-age drinking,’ Snelling said
‘Educational programs have been effective and I believe it is perfectly proper and prudent that young adults ages 18-20 who want to drink in Vermont be exposed to the laws of Vermont regarding alcohol and the tragic costs of its abuse.’
A Snelling aide said he was unaware of a similar program anywhere else in the country.
In April, Snelling vetoed a bill raising Vermont’s legal drinking age from 18 to 19, saying that if 18-year-olds are old enough to vote, they are old enough to drink.
Since then, however, his Democratic opponent in the 1982 gubneratorial race, Lt. Gov. Madeleine Kunin, has made a campaign issue out of the question.
Timothy Hayward, executive assistant to the governor, said Snelling’s proposal would require all 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds, even those from out of state, to have a special ID card showing they’ve attended the class in order to buy alcohol in Vermont.” (”Governor would require drinking course for youths,” Associated Press, 10 June 1982)
The ideas behind Snelling’s 25 year-old remarks are echoed clearly in Choose Responsibility’s own proposal to lower the drinking age to 18 through a system of education and licensing. Perhaps Vermont’s long time governor was onto a winning idea that just needed a few decades to percolate!
August 29th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
What can we say about mlda 25? This law set in India.There people in MADD and others who want to set this law in US.
August 30th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Well, here in Denmark we do not have an age limit of alcohol consumption and a 16-year limit of alcohol purchase. So if the boy had been a Dane, he should have celebrated his birthday one day later, and he would not have to involve his parents at all.
Why do we have such limits?
We have discovered that youth use alcohol as a kind of phase that should be done with once they can drive a car. So they have two years where the parents can observe them and their way of drinking. If they show that they cannot control it, it means no drivers license.
This strategy results in a low number of people killed in alcohol related accidents. If you compare your numbers to ours in Denmark, you will find that ours are very low. (15 people killed per 1,000,000 for the whole year of 2006)
We have adjusted our laws on several occasions in order to spare lives and we find that making the introduction to alcohol an assignment for the parents and not the police remove the need for secrecy. Some youth as young as 8 have been spotted in the streets drinking making it very easy for adults to spot them and tell their parents, so it can be a subject for discussion in the family. Most parents introduce alcohol for their child at an age between 13 and 15 as a part of the confirmation, which is an Old Danish custom.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Instead of the bureaucracy of a licensing program, I would like to suggest a Graduated Drinking Age approach covering individuals ages 18 to 20.
Currently, the PURCHASE and most PUBLIC possession of alcohol is prohibited for all individuals under the age of 21 (as per the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act). The Federal Law does not prohibit minors from possessing and consuming alcoholic beverages in PUBLIC when accompanied by a parent, spouse or legal guardian age 21 or older nor does it prohibit possession and consumption in PRIVATE. (cf., http://www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov)
I would like to see the federal law prohibiting the PURCHASE of alcoholic beverages remain in place. I would like to see those State laws that added additional restrictions modified to allow
a) PUBLIC possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages for people between the ages of 18-20 when accompanied by a parent, spouse or legal guardian, and
b) PRIVATE possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages for people between the ages of 18-20.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
“b) PRIVATE possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages for people between the ages of 18-20.”
I think that private, un-moderated, potentially dangerous drinking is what we are looking to reduce. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it should be illegal, but I just wanted to make clear that I wouldn’t consider it the goal.
Marshall
Bard College