Lower the legal drinking age

To the editor:

Senate File 208, a bipartisan bill, would allow 19- and 20-year-olds to visit bars, if passed. It raises concerns in some college towns that have fought to restrict minors access to venues in which alcohol is served. Our state and nation can consider something even more comprehensive and realistic. In 50 countries the minimum age to legally drink alcohol is lower than 18 years old and in 12 countries it is higher than 18, according to the World Health Organization. The USA shares its current policy with countries such as Kazakhstan, Oman and Pakistan.

Most first-world, industrialized countries allow 18 year olds to purchase and consume beer and wine. (Such has not brought the end of their civilizations as they know it). Alcohol consumption can be a serious problem for some. It can contribute to difficult and even tragic circumstances. Yet unfettered prohibition has never been a solution. Instead, combined with Puritan drug policies, has created greater concerns. When we neglect natural, normal tendencies in young adults, as with improper sex education, we ignore opportunities to teach our young adults facts, opting for dogma. It is, therefore, no surprise that the less scrupulous among us provide them with new, untested and often dangerous alternatives. Therefore, a smarter and more responsible path is to allow 18 year olds to legally buy and drink beer and wine accompanied by an intelligent education program and involved adults.

Matthew Burrier

Cedar Rapids