Maine should lower drinking age to 18

Monday, April 11, 2005

On April 2, the newspaper editorialized against the Vermont Chapter of the National Youth Rights Association's campaign to lower the drinking age in Vermont. While there are no plans to bring the campaign to Maine, I think it would be a great idea for the people of Maine.

States that lower their drinking age do not risk losing most of their highway funds -- just 10 percent of the federal highway funds. In Vermont, that would be one-quarter of 1 percent of the state budget.

After factoring in potential gains because of decreased law-enforcement costs and increased alcohol-tax revenue, Vermont would lose even less. This is a small price to pay for respecting the civil rights of youth.

As the newspaper wrote, it is "impossible to count the number of lives that have been saved as a result" of the 21 drinking age -- impossible because it has not saved anyone's life. In the three years after Vermont raised the drinking age, alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the state increased an average of 20 percent. Nationally, studies prove that raising the drinking age to 21 had no effect on reducing drunken driving. All it did was transfer the lives lost from 18-to-20-year-olds to 21-to-24-year-olds.

This proposal is not a reckless or dangerous idea done with no regard for the health and safety of the nation. It is reckless to pretend our law is working and ignore the facts that show otherwise.

The truth is that a drinking age of 21 is bad for health and safety and bad for the civil rights of our young adults. It is bad for Vermont and for Maine.

Alex Koroknay-Palicz

President & executive director

National Youth Rights Association

Washington, D.C.

http://www.youthrights.org